Fabric Runs Shallow
by Mable
Summary: *Sequel to Souls Run Deep* The Stitchpunks continue their story and lives. Balancing their lives, their relationships, and even their future as the fight off the threats of beasts and more. Will they be able to still stand together through the coming tides and what lies waiting in the wings?
1. Chapter 1: The Daunting Change

**Mable: Well… To be fair, I'm dreading posting this. I know that this isn't going to be the same as the action packed beginning of Souls Run Deep… If I could actually count the beginning of Souls Run Deep even a fraction towards being action packed! Though, really, this is more of a continuation than a sequel so I'm not going to really compare the two much… Anyway, if you have not read Souls Run Deep then this is going to be very confusing, so I insist that you probably read that firstly! **

**Oh wow, here we go. Another one hundred chapters of Stitchpunks starting with an incomplete sentence. I don't own 9, but I do own a few of the characters who I will mention in the later Author's Note. Enjoy!**

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_**Fabric Runs Shallow**_

_Chapter One: The Daunting Change_

Things had changed.

Subtly more than anything else. Nine had noticed the dull stirrings in the Sanctuary of a changing world, of a changing family, but sometimes it was harder to decipher which things were changing and which weren't. He immediately noticed the other side of his bed being empty. Usually a relief since it meant that he could use all of the one person bed by himself, he wondered why Child had left at all. He wasn't exactly a morning goer in the slightest. So Nine noticed it and sat up, letting the covers fall down into his lap.

Other things hadn't changed much. Looking at the other sides of the room he could see the two other beds that were both filled. Five's, he was alone too so it meant Three hadn't snuck in bed with him, and None, who was Nine's own twin. Then again, it was hard to note that anymore; Nine thought of this with a smile. In the last couple of months None had begun to bloom into his own being. He wasn't actually too much like None if someone was to really think about it, but in that same way he was very similar to None.

He pushed down the blankets the rest of the way and swung his legs over the side, stretching a bit as his body protested waking. It had to be earlier than he thought for him to still feel so tired. He soon stood and wandered to the curtain before stepping out into the hall. Light filtered from two sources, from the throne room's curtain and from the Workshop. Though he realized that the throne room's light was clearly natural, softer and made of gentle light coming through the vents in the throne room, while the workshop's light was from a lit candle.

Someone else was awake and his thoughts went to Child. He had to have been working on something and he approached the Workshop before opening the curtain. There he was met with the shorter frame of someone else instead of the common height of Child. It was none other than the Inventor himself, Two, who was at the workbench fumbling with some sort of wooden item that he was carving. "Morning Two." Nine greeted and the shorter jumped before spinning around, making a quick hushing gesture, and Nine quieted down a bit.

"One has the hearing of a Cat Beast." He informed with a warm smile and Nine agreed with a quiet nod before whispering, "He does. What are you doing up so early?" Two glanced back towards the wooden bench, "Just getting some things done while I still can. I hope I didn't wake you." The younger waved it off and wandered over beside him before casually leaning on the workbench. "Don't worry, you didn't. I didn't even know you were in here until I was in the hall." He paused for a second before remarking, "I won't tell One."

Naturally Two was relieved. One tended to get overprotective when it involved his mate carrying young. Of course, when Nine thought about it, he had a right to be. Two wasn't carrying a small light anymore, he was carrying the body of their child that had nearly completely fused with the soul. As such, Two was due very soon to have the infant removed, and because of such One was adamant on bed rest. His mate had obeyed and done so for a few days, but now had decided to start working again. At least he wasn't obsessively cleaning anymore.

"How's the baby this morning?" Nine asked playfully and Two was clearly endeared by the comment. "The baby is well." He responded and Nine quietly, awkwardly, asked as he rubbed the back of his neck, "Can I feel it again?" Of course he had asked and done so before, with both babies, but he still wanted to do so again. "Certainly! Here, give me your hand." Two instructed and took the younger's hand to rest it in the proper position. Promptly after contact the unborn Stitchpunk fidgeted inside and decided to adjust in a different position.

To think that there would be another baby among them was amazing. Another little Stitchpunk to learn and play. Twenty-One was already starting to get older and slowly starting to become more and more adorable with every passing day. Nine stroked over the belly a bit and felt as the baby continued to roll about. "It's moving a lot today." He pointed out with a smile and Two chuckled, "It certainly is! My little Rabbit; it will be any day now and we will be able to hold h- it." He corrected. Naturally One and he were still 'hiding' the gender.

Maybe neither realized that One had referred to it as a 'he' bluntly six or seven times already. It was a little amusing to see the two oldest and nearly wisest ones being as naïve as he himself was known to be. By Child mostly though. "What are you working on?" Nine asked curiously and Two looked to the wooden figure, "A little something for Twone. He's been interested in the toys for the new baby so I thought, because he's being so good about all of this, that I would make him something. I know there's a good chance that he might not be pleased with the attention aimed at his sibling."

"I'm sure he'll be-." Nine cut off and Two tensed as the curtain opened. However instead of being One it was a waking Five who was still half clouded with awakening. "Morning. Two, you're out of bed." He suddenly realized and Two gave a relieved exhale, "I had to stretch my legs a bit. It helps my back." Back pain had also came with the heaviness of the new baby and Two would admit that during pregnancy he actually felt like he was old, even if he only resembled being of near elder age because of inheritance from the Scientist.

"Morning Five. Have you, or Two, have either of you seen Child? He wasn't in bed." While the Healer shook his head Two remarked, "Someone was walking around earlier. Perhaps it was him?" Nine took this as a cue to continue his search. "Alright, thanks. See you both later on." With that he headed out of the Workshop with one destination in mind; Child's bedroom. As he approached the curtain and pushed it open he realized nobody was inside immediately. The candle was out and upon looking at the bed the lump inside looked nothing like the Stitchpunk.

When Pet poked his optic out Nine knew that it wasn't Child and wandered over to pet the Training Beast's head in gently motions. "Hey Pet." He greeted the companion caringly before his optics looked around the room. Now he was feeling a tinge of worry that passed his face. It was unexplainable, but he knew something was off. Child was quiet, but didn't tend to hide what he was doing and this was especially the case with Nine, but recently Child had been sneaking around doing something. For the last few days it was bluntly obvious.

Laid out across the small desk were various papers and he grew interested as he crossed to light the candle in the corner to see. They weren't blueprints as he expected, but they were instead none other than multiple maps. Resting on them was what looked like a makeshift compass and nearby was a small inkwell cap filled with ink. A metal quill rested in it and looked like it had been used recently. Nine knew what he was seeing, though, _"He's making maps?... Is he looking for somewhere?" _At this moment he exhaled in a bit of frustration.

"Child…" He wouldn't deny that he wasn't really jumping through hoops to have something strange occurring with Child. After everything they had been through he had hoped that Child trusted him enough to tell him if something was going on. The mere thought made Nine curious and when he was curious he was reckless. He knew this, yet he couldn't help it. He was going to have to figure out what was going on sooner than later. The maps gave no answers and he turned to leave the room once again, "What am I going to do with him?"

It didn't help that Nine exited the bedroom and almost walked straight into One. Thankfully for Nine, and not for Two, One was on a mission to find the Inventor and barely noticed Nine. In fact, he actually said a quick, "Excuse me." Temporarily forgetting that as Leader he tended to scold someone when they did anything he didn't find suiting for Stitchpunks. However, he was gone in a second, heading down the hall and heading straight into the Workshop where Nine heard him announce his presences with, "I trust I am not interrupting anything?"

Eight then peered out of his room looking confused at hearing One storm by. Naturally he knew it was One just from his footsteps. "Morning Eight." Nine greeted pleasantly and Eight returned with a casual repetition. Then Nine went straight onto what he needed from Eight, "Did you hear Child leave his room earlier?" The Guard rubbed his head a bit tiredly, "A couple of hours ago. He headed that way." He followed the comment with a thumbing towards the throne room and Nine was suddenly confused, "You were up?"

"Six was up." Eight corrected and Nine realized that Six must have had a nightmare. While they had cut back considerably, Six still had nightmares, but thankfully what used to cause screams now reverted to soft whimpers instead, quieter nightmares that Eight was able to ease away. He looked tired though so Nine guessed he hadn't gone back to sleep afterwards. "Is he okay?" Nine asked with concern and the Guard stepped out of the room fully, already dressed for the day, "Yeah. He's sleeping now." He explained and the zippered male was somewhat relieved.

"I hope he's alright. Thanks for the tip." He thanked and headed out into the throne room where he saw the bucket lift down. This meant Child had left and he exhaled tiredly before crossing over to it and sitting on the wooden platform beside it. If Child was going to dodge him then he was just going to wait until he got back. That would be the end of it.

Seven felt much too warm to be comfortable even when tucked into the softness of her bed. The blankets were wrapped uncomfortably and something was practically on top of her. She leaned back slightly only to have the back of her head hit the firm chest of someone else. Immediately she recognized the chest when she recognized the dull purring pulsing through it and into her audio receptors. "Cat…" She exhaled groggily, "Cat, I thought you were going to stop doing this." Another morning to realize that Cat had climbed into bed.

His tall frame was practically wrapped around her upper torso and in front of her she could see his sharp claws locked together. She started to lift his arm off of her. He protested the movement. "Come on, Cat, I need to get up. It's too hot in here for you to do this." His face pressed into the back of her neck and she assumed it was to spite her; she just imagined him smirking behind her. Finally she pushed his arm off and sat up before stretching, sending him a mock glare, "I thought we got you a bed for this."

Cat, optics still closed, released a playful smile. "My bed's cold and lonesome." He explained, trying to mock a pitiful tone, and Seven scoffed with her out mock one, "That's because you won't sleep in it." She reminded him and he chuckled, his voice box crackling under the motion. While he did so she could see him watching her with that same focused gaze that usually applied when he had been a Beast. She couldn't help but feel a little self-conscious by having someone stare at her, running their optics over her frame like an actual cat hunting an actual bird.

She found herself getting her helmet on quickly. She felt more secure with it on, as though Cat's piercing gaze couldn't get through the skull, and moved on to get ahold of her weapon when suddenly the twins entered in through the doorway. Probably to wake Seven by pouncing on her as they typically do. To their surprise there was another Stitchpunk in the bed and they simply stared at him for a few seconds before looking over to Seven. They were probably innocently confused but Seven felt the need to defend herself.

"Cat couldn't stay in his own bed, again." She smiled to them and the two released silent giggling in amusement. This managed to draw Cat somewhat out of bed and he sat up before stretching, his claws knitting in the blankets before he tried to pull back, couldn't, and ended up having to practically tear it off. He looked over to Seven to make sure she hadn't noticed, but she was too busy heading towards the door and stepping out, the twins following along with her.

She got two foot down the hall before Three suddenly steered herself into the Workshop to find Five. He was there, but so was One and Two, with the Leader trying to get the Inventor out of the Workshop as fast as possible. Two managed to grab onto the doorway to stop himself for a second to greet them. "Good morning, girls. I hope you are well." At this moment, One retorted, "Unfortunately, you will not know. Come along." Seven almost wanted to defend Two, but considering his situation she just returned the greeting and watched him get dragged off by One.

When Three hurried to Five's side Seven could see both her and Five's faces alight. They hadn't gotten to see each other the night before because of how busy both had been, but now they were glad to be reunited. The Healer gave her a comforting embrace and Three pressed into his chest with a sweet smile of someone who was in love. Four seemed to be giggling again in her own way and waved the two off before beginning to head into the hall again.

"Morning Seven." Five said overtop Three's hooded head and Seven smiled at him, "Morning. I hope you got a few minutes with Two before he was stolen." Five chuckled a little, hugging Three a bit tighter, "A _few _minutes at most, maybe." The Warrior exhaled at the Leader's behavior before pulling back into the hall, "He's acting irrational. You would think after the first child he'd know how to handle his separation anxiety." She continued down the hall, glancing at both Eight and Child's rooms. The latter having a candle lit inside.

However, she did peer into Eight's room because of the dispute the night before. She had heard Six's babbling through the wall and Eight's comforting mutters or grogginess; as expected another nightmare had hit. She hoped that it wasn't a bad sign of something yet to come. Looking through the darkness of the room she could see Six in bed. His body was spread out tiredly across the bed and he was wrapped around a pillow. With a soft exhale Seven pulled back into the hall and continued towards the throne room. Six needed the rest.

She could use some too. Things had felt hectic recently even with the arrival of the new baby on the way. _"I need to get out for a bit. I've been trapped inside too long; how long has it been since I last went to scout?" _She exhaled tiredly. It seemed since Cat had become less of a pet figure and more of, well, a Stitchpunk, Seven had felt the need to spend time with him. Not many of the others were very social with Cat. Mostly because Cat himself, while seemingly social, gave little effort to such. He spent most of his time with either Seven or Child.

"_I just need some time to myself." _She caved as she entered the throne room before glancing over to notice that Nine was sitting near the bucket lift which was down. She smiled a little in amusement, "Waiting for someone?" His head jolted upwards and he soon began to ease, "Oh, Seven, good morning." He greeted before explaining, "I'm just waiting for Child to get back." The female glanced at the lowered lift, "He left?" Nine shrugged a little, "He's gone so I guess so… I just took a note from One to ambush him."

"That would be a note from One, no doubt about it." Seven answered before moving to sit down beside him, leaning against the wall. The two Stitchpunks simply sat there for a few seconds before Nine decided to ask her, "Things have changed, haven't they?" It was a conversation starter, but an odd one and she raised a brow. "They have. Do you regret them?" Nine chuckled a little at the question, "Of course not! I guess I'm just being a little melancholy." The Warrior went a bit more firm towards him, "Nine, you don't have to lie to me, what's wrong?"

Now Nine caved and admitted, "I have this bad feeling that something's going to happen, but I think I'm exaggerating a bit." Seven gave a little smile to him, "Sometimes that's a good thing with us." She admitted and this seemed to somewhat ease Nine. Even if Seven realized that Nine did have a point; there was a forewarning feeling in the air. Or perhaps Nine's words and her own questioning of her and Cat, or lack of time outdoors, brought it on. Either way, she'd stay here and wait with him a bit later.

The bucket lift was boarded in a quick motion and for a second the boarder just stood there and sorted through the papers in his hand. Traced maps detailing exactly what he wanted, Child had finally found what was needed, the last details. His mouth stretched into a bit of a smile, but it wasn't innocent or filled with any pleasure. It was a scowl of distaste yet a clear pleasure in being able to finally get answers. _"Maybe all of this will be worth it after all." _He thought to himself before mentally adding in, _"Or it will be a complete waste of time."_

He stacked the papers together and moved over to use the crank and raise the lift upwards towards the Sanctuary. As the lift hit the platform he glanced out before double taking. There was Nine, sitting alone outside the bucket lift and against the wall. His head was slumped a bit and he looked as though he was asleep. "Creator, Nine." Child muttered to himself and leaned down to check if Nine would respond, which he wouldn't, so he assumed he had fallen asleep and attempted to creep by him.

Unfortunately for him, Nine wasn't as 'asleep' as he expected, and the second he heard the quiet footsteps he looked upwards. Though Child was now focused on the paper in his grasp and was slightly startled when Nine abruptly spoke, optics twitching from their position on his maps. "You're back." He sounded questioning and stood as Child immediately spoke, "I assumed you were asleep. It would not be the strangest thing you have done." He glanced back and forced a small, sly smirk, even if it wasn't fully there. It was an illusion that his mind wasn't taken with other things.

"I was waiting for you to get back." Nine admitted with a slightly embarrassed smile, "Where were you gone all day?" For a second Child's gaze seemed to vanish as he stared at nothing in particular. Nine watched the unfocused optics and predicted correctly that his mate was not going to give him a complete answer. "I was visiting the closest thing to a government building left in the city." Child answered nonchalantly before heading towards the hall slowly, expecting Nine to follow and so he did.

"One's room?" Nine joked in an attempt to liven the mood and Child released some sort of small scoffing noise at the remark. This was good; Nine didn't want it to seem like he was prying or Child would close up and the last thing he wanted was to be kept completely in the dark about whatever was going on. As Child entered his room he immediately paused with a jolt as he realized the candle was lit. Before he could become paranoid Nine spoke, "I came looking for you earlier. I must have forgot to put it out."

Child was suspicious; Nine could tell by his silence. "So where were you, exactly?" The awkwardness was frustrating and Child crossed to his workbench before laying the papers down, beginning to obsessively shuffle and organize them. This time the zippered one decided it was time to be firm, "Child, what's going on?" Child calmly answer with, "You decided to stop beating around the bush?" The younger huffed in a bit of frustration, "I'm not that naïve, Child. You've been quiet for days and when you're not in your room you are gone."

He came forward and reached out. After gently moving aside Child's cloak he laid a hand on his shoulder, "What are you hiding from me?" Maybe it was his desperate tone or the wording that slight suggested he wasn't going to simply accept no answer at all, but finally the other caved. The albino Stitchpunk faced him immediately with a calm, but somewhat apologetic look, as though he actually felt guilty. Which he did. His hands came to rest on Nine's own shoulders as he explained.

"I have been looking for something, somewhere, something that is somewhere I cannot find and it has taken much of my focus. Today I went down to the old city hall and searched through what of the records were left and managed to find out the location. That is all." His words were honest, but that didn't meant he was saying everything. Nine allowed himself to believe this much as his face softened a little, "So you've been spending all this time just copying and drawing maps so you could find a location?" Child closed his optics and nodded while Nine asked, "Are you leaving again?"

"Yes Poppet, in the morning. It should only be a day long trip." With this, Nine felt the need to add in, "I'll come with you. It would be safer if you didn't go alone." Yet Child answered with a quick, "That won't be necessary." He tried letting his mate down easy as he pulled back and leaned on his workbench, staring down at the papers stretched out before him. "I know you can handle yourself, but anything could happen. A fall, a Beast attack, overheating, we both know what happens when you're out in the sun."

"You can't come with me, Nine. I need to do this alone." The fact that he now stated Nine's name was a way of showing that he was certain. That he wasn't planning to let Nine come with him. Nine was completely torn. He wasn't sure whether to keep pressing or not and finally decided to reassure the other, "Look, I know we're together and because of this you feel like you have to protect me, but I'm not helpless out there. I've been outside on my own before, if you remember."

Child glanced over before remarking, "Oh yes, I remember you telling me about that. Of course if I didn't all I'd have to do is look at that delightful scar on your shoulder." He gestured to the red thread that clashed with the black and Nine rubbed the area as though it was sore, which it wasn't, "Bad example. What I meant was; I know I don't have a good history, but I do have use, and want to come with you." A sympathetic look passed Child face, "Nine, this has nothing to do with you handling yourself out there. I just need to do this alone."

"Do what- never mind." Nine cut off what nearly became a frustrated tone and exhaled. "Alright, I trust you, I _love _you, if you have to go alone then I trust you, but don't blame me if you get sunstroke." While he wasn't completely pleased, Nine felt a bit of pleasure in seeing that Child was, now giving a sincere and warm smile. "Thank you. I love you too." He then moved in to gently take him in his arms, one hand moving to brush his cheek. Getting a smile in return he moved in and pressed his lips to Nine's tan ones in a gentle motion.

It wasn't their first kiss and Nine doubted it would be their last, but he sort of felt bad. He had a feeling that he'd have to go back on his words. It wouldn't be the first time that curiosity and a feeling of obligation had him wandering in the Emptiness for a mysterious location. Best not to tell Child and hope he wouldn't realize his plans for the next day.

Maybe things really hadn't changed.

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**Mable: Alright, so that's the first chapter! I don't own 9, but I do own Child, Cat, None, Twenty-One, and Two and One's soon to be born baby. The next chapter will be posted tomorrow at a much earlier time. I hope everyone enjoys!**


	2. Chapter 2: The Incessant Worries

**Mable: Here we go into chapter two! Again, we're just beginning, but we get to see a bit more of some of the others now. Anyway, I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

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_**Fabric Runs Shallow**_

_Chapter Two: The Incessant Worries_

"Then you wrap this second loop around the first," Julius instructed gently as slowly pulled the ties into a neat bow, "dip it underneath, and pull tight." With that it was finished and he watched as Twenty-One stared down at his vest in delight. Most likely Twenty-One wouldn't be able to remember it yet as he was still young, but he felt it was only smart to get a jumpstart on something that would be a part of him forever; how to close his front securely. The little one was still not perfect on his words and in response looked up with a smile and said, "Its good, Grampy."

'Good' was the word that Twenty-One gave anything he liked and so Julius was pleased with his work. 'Grampy' meanwhile was the title that Twenty-One had given his Grandparent in an affectionate way. With his budding accent it sort of sounded like a strange version of 'Grumpy', but Julius didn't mind. In fact he absolutely adored having the title. "I'm glad. Now then, where were we? Were we going to play a game?" The small Stitchpunk smiled wider and nodded vigorously, "Uh huh!" Julius continued, "Which game would you like to play?"

"I want to play Hiding Game, we play?" He got out and Julius understood before lifting his grandson and lowering him to the floor, "You go hide and I'll count to ten." He reminded and the little one nodded before toddling out of the room as fast as he could. It was adorable and Julius just watched him leave before beginning to count out loud. He reveled in this time of pregnancy. Along with a second child, One and Two needed extra help keeping Twenty-One feeling as though he wasn't being ignored, so Julius took up the extra playtime.

This was worth living for. No amount of memories of what used to be could possibly ruin such a tender relationship. Julius was no longer a Scientist; he was a Grandfather, and that was all that mattered to him now. Most of his days when he wasn't with his children and grandchild he had changed to making toys for the young ones. It felt odd making toys in this new body, a doll making inanimate dolls and trinkets, but he enjoyed it. It brought back happy years of making toys for smiling children. The years as a toymaker had been rewarding.

Yet now he had a more important motive at hand; to make Twenty-One happy. With this he stepped out of his room and started looking down the hall for any possible hint at where the young one had ran off to. "Twone, I'm coming to find you." He warned playfully and didn't receive an answer which meant he was far enough away that he couldn't hear or he would reveal himself with a squeak or giggle. He headed down the hall towards the throne room and entered, scanning the surrounding area with old optics.

Eight was standing by Six's drawing area where the Artist was groggily setting up for the day. A nightmare night, no doubt. Julius was sympathetic, but was glad to see that Eight was there for him, helping him set up his things and resting a reassuring hand on the Artist's back. The striped one smiled at him before standing up and pressing his lips to the larger male's. Julius averted his eyes. It was an adorable scene, but he didn't want his staring to make them uncomfortable. He merely waved and headed back to the hall that held the door to One and Two's bedroom.

One was standing in the doorway to his bedroom when he said to the doll inside, "You need the rest, Love. I will be back shortly." He closed the curtain softly and looked to his father who passed by, "Afternoon." He greeted and Julius did as well, "To you as well. Is Two doing well?" One nodded, "Getting some much needed rest. I swear he becomes twice as active when it is a threat to his health." Then he passed by to head into the throne room when he stopped and leaned closer while lower his voice, "In the playroom." Then continued to stride into the throne room.

The Scientist could only smile warmly at the comment as he continued on his way to the next room, the play room. It was technically Twenty-One's room as he would eventually move in permanently, but he was still a bit too young to sleep alone, but he sort of suspected that One and Two feared the sudden change would be too drastic when also expecting a new baby. He entered into the simple room of toys and chests of miniature clothing and immediately realized that there was a clear place where Twenty-One hid.

In the corner of the room was the bassinette for the new baby. It hadn't yet been moved into One and Two's room for whatever reason and the lump in the blankets was a dead giveaway. "I'm almost certain that Twone is in here…" He said while pretending to be completely stumped. He began to wander around, lifting the lid to the toy chest and peering in. "He's not in here. Where could he be?" He continued along in circles around the room, "I don't think he could fit under the rug. No, no. Of course not." Then he started to move in, "Unless…"

He started to move in, Twenty-One moved under the blankets, and the older pounced. The squealing peel of giddiness that Twenty-One released was wondrous and Julius continued it by running his fingers rapidly over the little one's covered sides, listening to him laugh before letting him catch his breath. Twenty-One pulled the covers down and looked up at his grandparent, "Now you hide!" Julius smiled warmly and went to do so.

The morning led into the afternoon and during this time he continued to play until his body was beginning to protest. Thankfully at the point he recognized his age Twenty-One started rubbing his own optics and was clearly ready for a nap. Julius headed into One and Two's room where Two was fast asleep. Worn out from the little time he spent out of bed. Twenty-One insisted to be sat down beside him and curled into his arms where he soon fell fast asleep. Julius took this time to go visit the others.

His attention was immediately taken when he noticed Five alone in the Workshop working on something. "Afternoon, Five, what are you working on?" He asked curiously; in a good mood since his day with the young Stitchling Pup. "Finishing up with some things Two was making for Twenty-One." Five explained with a smile while brightening up now that he wasn't working alone. Julius noted this and decided that he could use some quiet time to sit and work. He offered, "Why don't you spend some time with Three and I'll finish?"

Five blinked in surprise before smiling, "Really? You don't have to do that, Father, I don't want you to have to do my work." It was obvious that he wanted to go see Three, but he felt guilty leaving Julius alone. "I insist. Working keeps my hands sharp, my son, and I wouldn't want to get rusty." He said pleasantly with a reassuring smile. This finally convinced Five enough. "Thank you. I'm going to find her and tell her." With that he started out and Julius felt a flutter of pleasure at having made his child happy. "Now then, let's see."

He borrowed Two's hat that covered the face with a lens, to heighten his vision, and went to work doing what he loved once again. Meanwhile Five headed out into the throne room. Nine and One were standing beside Six and looking at his newest drawing. He seemed to be talking about it excitedly as though it was a sketch after a vision. Eight was closer to Five and in some sort of dispute with Seven where he looked embarrassed and she was looking amused. He didn't want to interrupt Six so he approached those Two, as Seven would most likely know where the twins went.

"Umm, guys?" Five spoke, not feeling too comfortable just randomly putting himself into the conversation, "Have you seen Three?" Seven looked to him and beckoned back to the lift, "Down in the Library with None and Four." He nodded and started to head back towards said lift before Seven spoke again, "Here, I'll come with you." She called back over her shoulder, "So are you going to get over it and spar or are you going to keep obsessing?" The challenge was accepted and Eight pulled away from the wall which he was leaning against.

"Six, Boss, I'm heading down." He called over and they acknowledged his leaving, Six actually waving to him. The three boarded into lift and started to head down into the Library. Eight muttered to himself the entire way and Seven decided to explain the situation to Five, who was curious but hadn't asked, "The last time Eight and I sparred something happened and he's a little… Embarrassed." Five blinked and kindly asked, "Did you win the sparring match?" Eight felt the need to speak, "Only because she cheated."

"I didn't cheat, Eight. You just tried a new weapon too early." She reminded and then spoke to Five, "His blade popped off the handle and fell on his foot." The Guard sort of glared a little bit at her and started to quicken his movements on the handle as fast as possible. Soon they hit the bottom and he strode out, Seven following him and both ready to pick up from last time, but Five decided to merely move along and find Three. Which wasn't too hard as they were at their cataloging area as usual.

None was helping the two go through a small jar of marbles that they had collected at some point. Three was holding Button in her grasp, the small Training Beast cuddling against her front lovingly. He was still young, but his parents had worked on him recently and had added more of a body to him, so now he was nearly the size of what was considered an adult. Unfortunately he still had one shorter leg, but it was learning how to work around it well. Either way, both of the twins were smiling, and Five felt a little unsure.

It was almost as though he was interrupting something and yet he still approached. Thankfully she noticed him and smiled, beckoning him over instead of going to his side, which on its own was strange. Usually she rushed over to hug him and lead him over, but he shook it off and headed over. "What are you up to?" He asked in a friendly manner as he linked an arm around the female's back. At least the hooded Stitchpunk did give him a smile which reassured him before None spoke, "Just looking at marbles." He answered quickly.

None's tone was strange and he looked at the book before them with almost a determination to not look at Five. The Healer blinked and looked to the twins; they were acting strikingly quiet as well. Considering that they were mute this said much for their behavior. He couldn't tell if he was interrupting anything or if they had been acting like this before he walked up. He didn't ask and instead hoped that it would dissipate, and it did for the most part as Three showed Five Button who squeaked and wriggled, wanting to be touched by its other parent.

Five smiled warmly and did so in gentle motions, passing off the odd behavior as nothing as by now it seemed to be waning away once again. He had to have just been exaggerating, Three and he were fine and the others wanted him here, so he didn't know why he was feeling like something was happening beyond his knowledge.

* * *

Two disturbed Stitchpunks standing in the same bedroom preparing for bed. While the third occupant, None, was missing from his bed, Five and Nine were already preparing for bed. Both with filled minds and neither feeling daring enough to bring it to the others' attention. After all; Five saw his concern as himself overreacting while Nine didn't want anyone else knowing about his plans for the next morning. Neither said a word about their issues and instead climbed into their beds silently.

Five blew out the candle and headed towards his bed when Nine asked, "Where's None? He's usually in bed already by now." At this moment the Healer felt a shudder head through his body, "Oh… I don't know. Maybe with the twins." Nine nodded a little and pulled the covers closer to him, "I guess…" He noticed Five's hesitance to get into bed and sat up a little bit, "Is something going on?" The one eyed one immediately decided to hide it and spun around quickly to smile and wave it off. "Ah… I'm just, you know, making a mountain out of a hill, usual worrying over nothing."

Nine gave him a half smile in return and Five eased a bit. Honestly, Five knew that he was making this issue bigger than it was, there wasn't an issue really anyway. It had nothing to do with None, it had nothing to do with Four, it just involved that he suddenly realized he wasn't spending as much time with Three. Because of this he would naturally try to do more with her, but there was something going on that he didn't really know about. He could just feel it. "_Tomorrow we'll do something special. It's getting warm, maybe we can go swimming? She might like that."_

While the Healer distracted himself with ideas, Nine stared upwards at the ceiling and made his own plans. A few minutes ticked by and he finally decided to get some sleep. However, his mind wouldn't shut down, trying to wonder what Child was looking for. The maps had been marked but hadn't been listed with actual titles, which made sense but didn't help his mind ease. More time passed, he rolled over, he twitched, he adjusted the blankets, and then looked over at Five. By now the Healer had fallen asleep and he was left alone.

He had half a mind to go into Child's room and ask him to come to bed, but then he would probably get suspicious. It wasn't like the two of them slept together every night anyway so he didn't understand why his body refused to cooperate. He pulled the pillow over his face and blocked out anything outside of the need to sleep. He knew he needed it and couldn't stand the prospect of being worn down from sleep deprivation. He laid there a little longer, perhaps a quarter of an hour, before the sound of footsteps outside the door alerted him of someone else awake.

The curtain opened and he glanced back to see that Child was entering and snapped his head forward again. It would be easier if he didn't seem like he had been waiting for him for an hour, or at least a lot less embarrassing to him. Child approached the bed and climbed into bed. His cloak was missing and Nine guessed it was in his room somewhere as he felt him move in. He casually wrapped his arms around Nine's waist and pressed his face into the back of his neck. It almost felt desperate and Nine was surprised at how pitiful the action with.

"Child?" He asked groggily, fake grogginess so that Child would think he just awoke. The pale male nuzzled into his back as his hook and eye closure pressed into the inked number '9'. "It's just me. Go back to sleep, Poppet." His voice was surprisingly soft and gentle, but Nine knew better. Something was wrong with Child. He rolled over and faced the pale male before copying the other's embrace. This time he was somewhat surprised at how Child submitted into it, pressing into Nine's zipper while allowing the younger to hold him.

"What's wrong, Muffin?" He asked gently. A few seconds passed of silence. "I've become a pastry." Child retorted cynically with a surprisingly weak tone, though this was news to Nine. "Pastry? That explains why One was giving me that look when I asked him about fungus." The albino's face seemed to contort in confusion, "I don't know which is stranger; the fact that you gave me the name of a pastry or that you did because you thought it was a fungus." Then added in, "Which would be a mushroom."

"Similar enough." Nine insisted with a bit of a smile growing, "Want me to find a better one?" Child suddenly pressed further against Nine in an almost desperate way, "No. Keep it. It will do fine." There was something strange in the behavior he was expressing and Nine held him tighter before letting a soft exhale release. He wanted to say something more, ask what was going on, comfort him, give some sort of answer, but didn't exactly know what to do other than hold him. Child resembled his own name at this moment and it was startling.

"Muffin…" Nine started, testing the name again and trying to overcome how it suddenly sounded silly, "Here, just get some rest. You've been working too hard for days, getting up before sunrise and leaving soon after, and you're going to try the same thing tomorrow." He reminded and Child released a quiet mutter that sounded like he was swearing about something. Probably remembering what he had to do the next day. "I can still come with you." Nine reminded and hoped the offer would be taken.

"That won't be necessary." The pale one muttered and started to gently pull back, but Nine stopped him, "Alright, alright, just making sure you're sure. Don't go." The albino one shifted, "I'm not, the blankets are tangled." He excused and while the burlap one didn't know whether that was the truth or not he slid closer to embrace him further. The two holding each other and laying sprawled across the bed; bracing themselves for the next day. Neither really able to predict what was to come of it.

* * *

**Mable: We've still lingering in the beginning tides, but a new chapter will be posted tomorrow and hopefully the fic can get off the ground a bit more. Still on wobbly, new legs at the moment. Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed, review if you feel like it!**


	3. Chapter 3: The Unexpected Additions

**Mable: Here is chapter three! I, umm, don't really know what to say. Beginning Author's Notes are always a bit unsure. I don't want to spoil anything so I can't very well talk about the chapter. Instead I have to ramble for a bit until I'm sure there's an adequate note… Anyway, I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

* * *

_**Fabric Runs Shallow**_

_Chapter Three: The Unexpected Additions_

While Child didn't want to leave the warmth of the bed he knew that he would need to leave soon. It was most likely the very early hours of the morning and most likely wouldn't be sunrise for some time. This would be the best time to leave, as there was no reason to drag it out further and have Nine become more and more suspicious. At that point the pale Stitchpunk believed Nine would be capable of anything, but at this point he was oblivious to any idea or plan that the younger would dare go through with.

When Nine fidgeted as he got out of bed he assumed he could lull him back to sleep by leaning down and pressing his lips to Nine's cheek, feeling quite a bit affectionate at the moment. He scrutinized Nine's face briefly to note any changes but was too tired and groggy to notice everything. He finally stood and headed out of the room, cursing his protesting joints that asked him to go back to bed, "_It won't be an event. It is not going to be like with Brain; I won't give the chance to lose control again." _he mentally reassured himself.

He headed down the hallway with his hands folded behind him as he stepped through his curtain into his bedroom. Soon afterwards he lit the candle and moved to put his cloak on. There was that melancholy feeling in the air that was perhaps a bit forewarning as well. While Child didn't dwell on the past much, the feeling of leaving loved ones to do something risky and partially selfish was not new to him. Yet at least this time he was confident that he couldn't possibly trigger something as drastic as last time. _"I just need the reassurance. Nothing more. I will do nothing more."_

He didn't realize that after he left the room Nine immediately began preparing himself to leave as well. He grabbed his Lightstaff while keeping it off as he knew the light would give him away immediately. It was more for a walking stick or last resort against some sort of Beast. He crept over to Five's bed and leaned over the one eyed one's frame before shaking him awake. "Five?" The Healer made a soft groan of grogginess, "I'm just letting you know that Child and I are leaving. We'll be back later, just go back to sleep."

One of the main rules that had been concocted by One was to always tell somewhere where they would be leaving to before they left. That way it would be easier to find them if they never returned. Usually the rule suggested to tell One, but Nine wasn't foolish enough to barge into One's room, shake him awake, and then ask to wander after Child in the dark. The plan already seemed silly enough, but at the same time Nine sort of liked the adventure. Most of all he wanted to figure out what was being hid from him and try to help in whatever way he could.

"Alright." Five mumbled and rolled over into his pillow. Nine gave his friend a half smile and started towards the door. Halfway there Five suddenly sat up in bed, "Wait, wait, what?" His voice suddenly seemed much too loud and Nine shushed him, "It's okay. We won't be gone long. Just go back to sleep and we'll be home before you know it." The assurance was more of a self-assurance than for Five. He headed to the curtain and opened it before peering out. Light came out of Child's room and he knew he was probably inside.

If he wanted to keep up with Child he would have to get down into the Library without Child realizing it. The bucket lift was a risky choice because the chances of getting the lift back to the platform before it would be missed were slim. This left two solutions; the long way which would lead through the back of the Sanctuary and let out in the Library, which he didn't know of well, or sliding down the ropes of the bucket lift, which would involve him having to climb down, grapple, and hope he didn't fall. He looked over his shoulder at the still awake Five. "Does One still have an escape route?"

Soon Five was out of bed and the two were passing Child's room. As Nine glanced in he could see that the pale male was still sluggish and trying to quickly finish the final map. Or he assumed that was what he was doing as he was writing something down. His optics were nearly closed though and he was resting his head on his free hand. This was a decent sign that the zippered male had a bit more time left before he would have to begin to panic about getting left behind. Thankfully, as he and Two had built it, Five knew where there was a shorter escape route.

In one of the more significant back rooms past One and Two's bedroom, which hadn't yet been finished or used for anything, there was a hidden trap door that when opened led into a gap between a shelf and one of the walls of the Library. There were different levels of shelves and the first was finished with a set of not properly nailed in steps. The few other levels were merely connected through rope ladders and led all the way to ground floor. Down at the rope ladders were where Five and Nine separated.

"Sure you'll be okay on your own?" Five asked, having been told about more of Nine's plan on the way to the escape route. "I can come with you if you want." Nine gave a thankful smile, "Trust me, me going is already risky enough as it is, I don't want to drag you out with me. I'll be fine." He assured as he climbed down onto the next rope ladder that would lead down. Five nodded in understanding, "Alright. Just in case, I'll keep a watch out from the watchtower once the sun comes up, and if you aren't back by noon I'll tell the others."

"Make it evening?" Nine offered and Five was a little amused, though clearly worried, "Alright then. Take care." He continued to watch as Nine climbed down the rest of the rope ladders and even as he headed out of view into the Library below. He headed to where the bucket lift usually let off and waited for when the pale male would appear. He was resting on a book, too awake to fall asleep but not awake enough to needlessly stand, when Child finally made his appearance down the bucket lift, immediately stepping out and striding into the darkness.

The zippered male followed behind while keeping a safe distance. He only paused at the door where he slightly reconsidered whether or not he felt it was necessary to invade Child's privacy. Unfortunately he was determined, knowing he couldn't turn back now after all of this. With that he followed the other into the Emptiness yet again.

* * *

Five doubted he would be able to go back to sleep at this rate. He rubbed over his forehead tiredly and stared down at the floorboards beneath him, trying to remember which ones creaked and which didn't as he navigated past One's room. It was dark though so he eventually made a slip and unfortunately it was in front of the curtained door itself. To his surprise the voice that spoke up wasn't One's. "Hello? Is someone out there?" The Healer perked at the sound of Two's voice coming from the bedroom.

"Two?" Five whispered back as he pushed the curtain to the side. Sure enough, Two was sitting up in bed, propped up on some pillows and looking out into the hallway. The one eyed one quickly checked to make sure that One was still comfortably asleep before creeping over to his mentor's bedside. "What are you doing awake?" He asked and Two smiled, "I should ask you the same thing. I heard you walking by a short while ago." The Healer was distressed by the comment, "I was helping Nine. We didn't wake you, did we?"

"Oh, heaven's no." Two added in with an odd smile, "I was just… Just waiting to see something. I only heard you because I was already awake." The distressed look stayed and the Inventor was concerned, "What is the matter, Five?" The Healer exhaled before crouching down beside the bed and speaking, "Nine's out in the Emptiness with Child, alone." This didn't exactly surprise Two in any merit and he continued smiling somewhat sympathetically, "I wouldn't fret for them. I trust they know what they're doing."

"Yeah…" Five began slowly before exhaling, "But that's not all…" The other raised a brow and he explained, "Two… Do you think Three and I aren't spending as much time together?" The Inventor paused before answering, "Yes." Five stared at him in sudden horror and he explained further, "But that's not necessarily a bad thing, Five. Sometimes couples have moment of being separated, addressing their own devices, it just means that they're becoming comfortable with…" He paused for a few seconds, looked over to One, and Five was startled.

He looked over to see if One was waking, but the Leader hadn't moved even an inch. "Two?" Five asked again and Two finally looked back. "What's wrong?" The Inventor waved it off with a light chuckle, "I'm fine. It's nothing, nothing at all. Back to our point; Three and you are just becoming more comfortable and spending more time with other things. Mostly my fault with how much I had to ask from you with the baby's things. I should have finished everything before I got this far along." Five immediately defended, "No, Two, I wanted to help."

"I don't know what I'd do without you." He pointed out and had a somewhat tired look growing on his face. "Two?" Five asked gently, not understanding why the Inventor was looking odd, "Really, Two, is something wrong? Is your back hurting again?" Two shook his head lazily, "I'm just tired. It's nothing to worry about. Did Nine take a light with him?" He tried to change the subject only to receive an answer he didn't expect. "What light?" One's voice suddenly spoke and Two's optics darted over while Five dropped down beside the bed out of reflex to attempt to hide.

"What light, One?" Two repeated, not knowing what else to say. Yet One was still alert enough to repeat, "You just said… Who were you talking to?" The way that One started to come awake quicker and pulled his blanket up to his neck like he was hiding himself. His slanted optics started to scan the room until he asked, "What is going on?" He started to climb out of bed in paranoia and Two forced a fake chuckle, physically winced, and then explained, "You must be mistaken, One, I… Was not speaking to you until you spoke to me."

The Leader looked at his mate in exhausted confusion before walking over to the bedroom door and closing the ajar curtain. "Two, I don't mind if you were talking to the baby, but you can be honest about it." The Inventor could only stare in alarm as One grabbed a match from the base of the candle and lit it. "Now there's no need for that…" Two said under his breath as One tiredly turned to him, "I am just making sure- Why is _Five_ under our bed?" The healer winced and his mentor protested, "Under our bed? One, I think you're sleep deprived."

"But not blind! Five, I see your leg and I know it is you!" He scolded and Five pitifully crawled out from under the bed, prepared to be scolded. Instead, One remembered what Two had said, and looked to him, "You said Nine needed a light?" His tone was firm and he added in, as Two's optics dropped to the blankets, "Why would Nine need a light in the middle of the night?" Two didn't answer, Five looked guilty, and One had his solution, "Perhaps I should just stop sleeping altogether! It would give you all less chances to go scuttling behind my back!"

As he turned to leave Five spoke, "One, wait!" He paused briefly before explaining, "Nine went out for a short while, but he told me and I told Two. It wasn't a secret and he didn't go alone, he's safe with Child." One seemed to, in his annoyance, lose certainty of this. "Nine, Child, and the word 'safe' do not belong in the same sentence!" To this Two spoke, "Let's just all calm down. You're upset because I woke you. If it is any consolation, I would have woken you up anyway."

"It certainly is not!" One retorted, "Whether being woken by you or waken by a delusional Stitchpunk leaving the Sanctuary at dark!" Two smiled at this, "Oh good! That makes me feel a bit better about this, because, before you go running off, we should probably address the fact that I may very well be in labor." Five did a double take and stared at the older, "Wait- what?" Two was very nonchalant, "I was waiting to see if it was another false labor, but it has lasted past thirty minutes so I am beginning to think this isn't the case."

One clutched his chest and stared in absolute horror for a few seconds, "Creator above…" Then he suddenly turned into 'the Leader' yet again, "Let us not panic. When we panic misfortune strikes. We have gone through this before." Two was amused by the other male's behavior, "I'm actually quite calm." One flinched back as though he was retreating from a beast, back stepping through the door, "Keep staying that way. I will get the bassinette and Father. Five, stay with him." With that, One hurried into the hall.

For a few seconds the Stitchpunks just stood there before Five asked, "Two… Was that just an elaborate way to get One to forget about Nine and I?" Two chuckled a little bit, "That it was." Silence once again. "So you're not in labor?" Two's chuckling died, "Well… Yes… But it still worked. You have to work with what you have." Five agreed with a nod; after all, Two was right, even if Five himself felt like he was about to faint.

* * *

The sun had still not shown itself. Nine guessed that it had been earlier than he anticipated, but at least it seemed to become easier for him to see. Perhaps from the wreckage around but he couldn't see the moon and frequently wished for its light. Yet shadows still cast across the area as though it stood at its most proud stance. Child didn't seem to need a light and moved through the darkness like some sort of ghost. Nine was almost impressed, because at this rate he doubted that any Beasts would be able to detect them.

Nine had noticed something odd as they continued along. Child was heading into a part of the Emptiness that Nine had not yet experienced. They had climbed over the break in the wall as though they were heading towards the factory, but then had taken a different way, leading through some of the wastes until they ended in some sort of abandoned industrial park. They only stopped so that Child could address the map and get his bearings and during these periods Nine would try his hardest to take in as much of the surrounding as possible.

There was a lot of broken down machinery that was labelled with the Machine insignia yet didn't look like actual Beasts. It was around this time that Nine decided to investigate one piece of machinery. Child had just sat down and didn't look like he was ready to jump back to his feet yet. The machinery was a tipped over cart of some kind with controls and a seat on one side, treaded tires underneath for driving, and gravel spilling out across the barren ground. He quickly climbed up the edge of the metal atrocity and stood at the top to look around.

The ground around the area was dead, but didn't look like it was killed by the poison. He slowly spun around and stared at this outside world beyond the destroyed city. Naturally he had been out here before, what with his trips to the factory, to Paris, and such, but never in this specific location. That was, until his optic caught back to Child who was now standing near another piece of machinery that he was staring into the bowels of. Crouched down and rubbing his chin in thought, Nine wondered what he was looking at tried to see through the dark.

That was when Child suddenly looked back somewhat and Nine's body reacted suddenly. Out of reflex he jumped down, grabbing the edge of the metal and jumping down onto the gravel below to hide. Unfortunately he had overcompensated his footing and wasn't able to stop as he slid straight down the gravel. He stayed upright and stumbled at the bottom of the pile, but once there he paused, trying to listen. He headed over to the edge of the metal, throwing his back against it and trying to blend into it as much as possible.

He held the Lightstaff to his chest in an almost overprotective motion and waited for something, anything. Unfortunately for Nine, who was overeager enough to leap away even when Child didn't notice him, Child was just as overeager to pull out his blade and approach the machinery. At first hesitantly before starting to actually rush in for some sort of surprise attack, thinking some sort of Beast was waiting and spying. Unfortunately what came was the last thing that he expected or wanted.

Child whipped around the corner with his blade out, foot caught on to the Lightstaff that Nine didn't realize had slipped out so far, and stumbled a bit before smacking into the ground. Nine just stared at the pale Stitchpunk and had to keep himself from laughing at what had to be a hilarious scene. That was, until Child pushed himself upwards and looked over with optics alit in red, crawling with aggressive static. The younger decided that it was best to come out quickly before a crazed Stitchpunk came flying at him with murder in its optics.

He stood, "Calm down, it's just me!" He pointed out, putting his hand up in a defensive way while not holding a defensive posture, nothing more than a crooked smile aimed towards the other. The pale male hurried to his feet and harshly beat the dust off of himself, "Of course; the dark of the night, Beasts are at their peak of physical activity, no sane Stitchpunk would be out here, here you are. Yes, it makes complete sense." Nine raised a brow slightly, "You're not surprised?"

"Not at all." He blinked a few times rapidly and the redness died yet again only to be replaced with the still present frustration. He stared Nine down silently as though he was waiting for a response, which Nine didn't give. "Let me guess; you followed me here and now you want to know where I am going _again_?" Nine went serious immediately, "Actually, no, I'm not going to ask you." There was a moment of silence before Child exhaled and rubbed his face wearily. He looked to Nine, Nine stood strong against him, and then he merely turned back towards the original direction he was following.

"Then come along. I don't have time to take you back to the Sanctuary and I doubt you'd stay there anyway if I did." He started off at a quick pace that Nine matched quickly, deciding not to tempt fate by falling behind.

At least he reached the point of being somewhat accepted. Answers could wait.

* * *

**Mable: The baby is coming! ^-^ Just the same, Child's trip is still a virtual mystery, but at least Nine is with him now. The next chapter will be posted tomorrow, I hope everyone enjoyed!**


	4. Chapter 4: The Failing Closure

**Mable: Whoa, what happened?! The time disappeared and the next thing I know it's passed Midnight! Ergo, missed the technical yesterday update… Let's just pretend that it still counts as the same night. That works, right?... Ah, well, anyway, I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

* * *

_**Fabric Runs Shallow**_

_Chapter Four: The Failing Closure_

The silence between Nine and Child was strong and the tension was thick. The two walked alongside each other as Child led the other through the Emptiness to an unknown location. The sun was still not up, but by now Nine wasn't hiding anymore so he turned his Lightstaff on to light their way. It wasn't too much further when Child stopped to check the map once again. When Nine tried to look over to read said map Child moved it out of view. The zippered male leaned in once again and watched as the albino practically turned around from him.

"What are you doing?" Nine asked with a raised brow and Child didn't respond. When he leaned in again the pale male difficultly moved it yet again and now Nine was becoming frustrated a bit, "You know, I've already seen the maps in your room, I don't think me taking a look is going to change anything." Child retorted with, "You are correct. I doubt you looking will change anything, you'll grasp the same amount as if you hadn't looked at all." The younger one slumped in realization, "You're still angry." Child scoffed lightly, "Why Nine, I don't think I've ever seen you grasp something so quickly."

It was a flat comment and Nine protested, "Fine, you're mad at me, it won't be the first time I've done something that annoyed everyone, but you can at least be reasonable." Child turned towards him, "Well, if you really insist-." He was planning another retort but caught. His unimpressed look at Nine's comment dissolved as his optics passed by Nine and to something behind him. Nine blinked a bit before Child spoke, "Don't move." The younger's face melted into a serious look that was mixed with dread. "What's behind me?" He asked under his breath.

"It's not right behind you." Child whispered back, barely moving his mouth, "It's a little ways away, but it is looking right at us." The zippered male was perplexed and slowly started to turn a bit, very subtly. Upon looking back he could see it nearby. It was hard to tell what it was as it was nearly flat with the ground and looked more like a lump on the ground with three red optics at the center. The two Stitchpunks stared back at it with hesitance. "Think it's aggressive?" He asked the other male who hesitated before answering with, "I'm not sure."

A few seconds passed before Nine started to edge to the side and noticed it didn't move in the slightest. "It's not really doing anything. Maybe we should just keep moving, there's no point in purposely provoking it." Child agreed somewhat and they fell back into silence as they continued along. Soon the Beast was out of view, but that wasn't the end of the strangeness. Only a little way further on and a weird noise started to filter through the air. It was a chopping and vibrating noise that cut through the air like a knife.

Nine's optics went to the sky, but he saw nothing and Child's solution was to simply start moving quicker. The bickering dissipated for the time being, but Nine had a feeling that something wasn't right. These were confirmed while passing beside a low wall. The vibrating noise abruptly had stopped and Nine decided to climb onto said wall to take a better look at the surroundings. He alerted Child to such, who was once again addressing the map, and then climbed up the wall made of large stones.

Once at the top was when he saw what laid beyond and was taken by sudden alarm. "Child…" He called down to the other male who let his optics stray from the map, "Yes?" Nine's voice slowly explained the situation, "That Beast is back." Child blinked a bit before looking upwards, "That Beast- I'm sorry?" Nine glanced back, "Thank you, but back to this," He was personally proud of the joking comment while Child seemed to not even register it past the message of the Beast. "It's over in the grass. Come look."

Child tucked the map under his arm and undid the closures on his back before quickly scaling the wall, using the extra limbs that he had been keeping inside for the trip. At the top of the wall he was able to look and see exactly what Nine was. A good ten or twenty human feet away was the Beast once again. Laying on the ground like a lump covered with some sort of fabric and staring at them with three red optics. "What are the chances that it's the same one?" He asked his companion who stared at the beast as though to catch it in the act of moving.

"Definite." He responded before exhaling, "Come along. We don't have much farther to go and there's not much we can do about it anyway." Nine was unsure about this solution and watched as Child climbed down the wall before looking back to the Beast. It didn't move an inch and yet Nine wasn't feeling safe about this at all. Yet he followed Child anyway and just hoped that this fear was unfounded.

It didn't help that the dull vibrations began once again and this time Nine had a feeling what it was.

* * *

It was impossible not to wake from the way that One was barging through the Sanctuary, which was why Seven found herself awake. She got out of bed like she would on a typical morning, if it was even morning yet. She pulled the blankets down, wrestled with Cat's clinginess, put on her helmet, and exited her bedroom just to catch One exiting the workshop with a couple of blankets. Obsessively packing them under his arms like a frightened rat trying to find food in the post apocalypse world they resided in.

"One, what are you doing?" She asked tiredly and One glanced to her before continuing down the hall, "Two is in labor." She blinked in surprise, "I beg your pardon?" He repeated bluntly, "My child is seconds from coming into the world and we forgot to put out enough blankets." She glanced downwards, "How many blankets could you possibly need?" She asked herself as he continued down the hall towards the bedroom with Two and Five. A short while had passed by then and Five was now sitting behind Two and rubbing his back in comforting motions.

Twenty-One was now awake as well and sat up in his crib to stare at the surroundings. "Papa?" He asked then changed when One strode in, "Daddy? Daddy?" He continued to ask and Two spoke, his voice much more hoarse than it was a short while ago, "It's alright, Twone. We're just getting ready for the baby." Twenty-One seemed absolutely in awe, "Where's the baby?" At this time Seven opened the curtain and peered in after One, looking immediately to Two, "Are you okay?" The Inventor smiled at her to faux being perfectly natural.

"Of course. Just a little pain, but it won't last long and it isn't anything I haven't gone through before." Yet it was slightly different. He could feel the child shifting a lot more than Twenty-One had before birth. It rolled around, turned over, and kicked in apparent frustration. "I'm starting to remember why we started calling it 'Rabbit'." Two pointed out to One who was now obsessively shuffling pillows. Seven, sympathetic to the plight of bot Stitchpunks, made an offer, "Well, I'm awake already, I could take Twenty-One into the other room."

"That would be appreciated." One spoke and Seven was somewhat surprised that he had said it. He finished with, "The process may frighten him and it would be best if he was kept calm and relaxed until his sibling's arrival." She nodded in agreement and leaned over the crib to lift the little one who immediately put his hands up to be carried. She took him in her arms, "Here, we're going to go play for a while, alright?" Twenty-One was confused, "But the baby. Where's Baby?" He was now referring to it exclusively as 'Baby'.

"The baby will be here soon. Don't worry." She insisted as she started to carry him out of the room, allowing her motherly instincts to take over as his head fell onto her shoulder. Of course once she made it out into the throne room she realized that some of the others had also awoken. Six was standing there clutching his key while None stood beside him looking groggy. The Warrior quickly explained with little introduction, "Two's about to have the baby." None looked surprised, Six actually looked excited, "Really? Now?"

"In a short while." Seven explained before Six came forward and petted on Twenty-One. Six had a bit of a fascination with infant Stitchpunks. As though he wanted to be parental towards them, and yet was afraid to be. Though Seven decided to give Six a small push by putting Twenty-One in his grasp, to which the baby moved to lean on him instead, clearly still distressed about not being able to see the baby yet, softly murmuring Six's name in a slightly disjointed way. He was able to remember most names, that being the names that he gave them himself.

Honestly both Seven and Six were likely to agree that Twenty-One's past choices in titles were triggered by other parties. Such as calling both Three and Four 'Twins' even when there was only one of them or the time that he called Eight 'Oaf'. Oddly enough he said it right after trying to invite Eight to play which him, which confused the Guard, but then he decided to find it funny instead of insulting. Six held the little one close who buried into his shoulder tiredly, the Artist rocking him while carefully holding him.

"What are you two doing up?" Seven asked in confusion and None explained his side, "My bed's against the wall so I heard One in the workshop." He released a soft second of tired laughter as he stretched a little. Seven looked over to Six with a sympathetic smile, "Eight keep you up again?" This actually did bring an embarrassed bit of laughter out of Six, "No, it was me. I slept a lot yesterday." Seven was at least glad to hear that he wasn't having nightmares at the present, but didn't know if he really wasn't or was keeping it from her.

Suddenly One appeared once again and scanned the room before looking directly at Six, "Wake Eight." The Artist blinked a bit in confusion and Seven was the one to question, "Why wake Eight? All of us are already awake." The Leader huffed in annoyance at being questioned, "Because someone needs to go down and check for those foolish enough to randomly leave at night." He looked directly at None, "Your brother as usual. I am half surprised you had the courtesy to stay among us." None apparently didn't realize Nine was gone, but had assumed he was sharing a bed with Child.

"Okay. I will." Six caved and as One turned to obsessively head back to his room, most likely pacing while he was waiting for the infant to be ready to be removed, and Six admitted to the other two, "I don't really want to wake him… He's not been getting sleep because of me." His voice held guilt but at the same time questioning, "But what else can I do?" Seven answered, "Don't. There's no reason Eight needs to stand downstairs and wait for Nine to get back. I'll go." That's when None chimed in, "No, I'll go. One's right; he's my brother, I can handle it."

He gave a friendly smile and reached out to pet Twenty-One's little head before heading over to the lift to raise it and descend into the Library. They were both thankful for None's suggestion as Seven didn't really want to start running errands and Six was glad to keep Eight sleeping. It seemed that someone needed to sleep considering that nearly all of them were awake, "_Except for Cat." _Seven thought to herself, _"He could sleep through a hurricane." _She shook the thought away, deciding to instead shift to help Six entertain Twenty-One.

Maybe the three Stitchpunks were as different as could be, but for all of them the night was just a waiting game for the new baby.

* * *

Feuding or not, Nine and Child had gotten weary in the journey and nearly forgot about the entire event. Light was starting to appear in the sky and while the morning was still cool the two were growing weary at their traversing and on the verge of actually feeling hot. By now Child and Nine were both holding on the Lightstaff and relying on it like a walking stick to take some of their own weight off their weary legs. Along this same route, Child had became tired enough that he stopped caring about whether or not Nine saw the map.

He lazily held it in one hand and addressed it occasionally with a patience that was starting to become strained. Nine glanced at it as well and while he not had a better idea of where they were he knew there was no marker to say exactly where they were. It soon changed when Child's optics shot upwards and he focused on something. Looking ahead Nine noticed the little building and by now recognized what it was as he had been at one of these buildings before. It was the entrance to an underground bunker that most likely had been installed during the war.

Now thinking back Nine wondered if all of the construction they had past were for making these bunkers. What Child could want with a bunker though was beyond Nine, yet Child directed them in that direction with the Lightstaff, and Nine loyally followed. He knew he needed to be patient and the answers would come soon enough. Once at the bunker they were hit with a new issue. The bunker's door was shut tightly, save a few bullet hole in the front. "We need to get inside." Child instructed and Nine stared at the door.

Child spoke again, "The hinges may be weak from lack of maintenance. We could try taking their bolts apart." He offered before Nine spoke, "I have an idea." He gestured to a lower bullet hole that actually managed to break through the metal exterior. "Maybe if we work at the thinner metal we can climb through that. It may be easier than climbing the door." Child paused before getting a small smile, "I must admit that it is clever. Perhaps I am fortunate you decided to follow me out here." Nine smiled back and the two went ahead to work. It was easier said than done.

The bullets had left the indentions thin, but not thin enough to be bent and shifted easily. The Lightstaff was first used but he quickly realized that the pressure on the staff itself could break it in two. Then they tried Child's weapon that upon sawing bent it a little bit more. They started to work together and the hole opened a bit more. Finally a tired and stubborn Nine stopped, "Alright, I'll try to climb through." Child crossed his arms and nonchalantly replied with, "It's not going to work." Nine was sort of taken aback by his answer, "Of course it will."

"Of course it won't. We should make the hole bigger." Nine glanced at said hole before looking back, "Maybe, but I think I can fit through it at this size." Child insisted, "Well I think your hips won't agree with you." A small smirk passed his lips and the zippered male was only more determined to get through the hole. He turned to the entrance and kneeled down before reaching his arms forward through said hole and beginning to move inside. Halfway through he started to have trouble, but to be realistic it was his zipper that was catching, not his hips.

A soft noise against the metal door as Child rested a hand upon it alerted Nine, "Remember to keep a watch out, that Beast might be around." He pointed out as he continued to keep sliding in. "I'm watching." Child muttered in response, but naturally he was watching the display instead of what was going on outside, suddenly feeling even more glad that Nine had tried climbing into this hole. Honestly he couldn't say it was Nine's legs that was interesting him at the moment. Eventually Nine managed to get himself the rest of the way through and relief overtook as his frame was released.

Right afterwards Child used his machine arms to pry the hole slightly more open and practically looked smug when Nine felt that he himself had deserved that right. However, Child's smugness fell once he realized where he was, and he suddenly went solemn. He started into the depths of the bunkers and Nine followed behind him until they got into the main room. There Child began to circle around after a quick, "Wait here." Nine didn't understand, but did, leaning against the wall and waiting. The pale male walked back and forth across the room.

He checked in some boxes, but was clearly looking for something in particular, and soon started to have a meltdown when it wasn't there. "Creator, this can't be right, they wouldn't have mismarked something this important would they? Typical humans, typical to do something wrong, to fail at a simple task." His words were starting to crackle with frustration and were becoming more and more caustic. As they did, Nine could only watch as the other fell apart. Finally he spoke, "So it's not here?" Child huffed as he slammed the cardboard side closed again.

"No, Nine, _it's _not here." He was clearly annoyed and Nine spoke once again, "Then we'll go look somewhere else." The pale male continued the tart tone, "_It _can't be anywhere else. It has to be here. You should know that what with you sorting through my items and following me. Why did you even come, Nine? Really, did you have a reason?" His annoyance caused him to turn on the zippered male who was ready to quip back. "Why I came here? You're asking me why I came here?" He stepped forward towards the male.

"I came because I'm worried about you! You haven't hidden things in the past, Child. You always just talk your way around them or tell me outright, but now you're hiding this!" Child retorted with his own height in volume, "You act as though _you _have never lied! What do you suppose following me through the Emptiness without telling me is?! An act of goodwill?!" Nine clutched his staff firmer, but kept his grounding as he added in, "Because of how obvious you were acting! I guess this is why you don't lie, because when you do it's completely transparent!"

"Then I am lying, so why are you not asking me _again _why I am out here?!" Child hissed back in clear annoyance and Nine lowered his own voice to talk firm. Still upset, but not willing to yell anymore. "Because that would be redundant and all that would happen is it would make you more determined to seclude yourself. That's what you do when you have to face problems, you pull back, you uninvolved yourself with it, so why this time is it so important? I don't know, but I'm not willing to risk our relationship to ask when I know I won't get answers."

There was a few minutes of silence that passed by, "You know, you're right. I need to stay out of this. I need to just go home and go back to sleep because all of this was a waste of time." He turned away towards the exit of the bunker before pausing, "By the way, you're doing that with your eyes again." It felt poignant to add in the red that had appeared yet again. He was seeing it way too much recently and as he strode towards the stairs he stood strong, even if he didn't feel it. He felt like a fool.

"Nine, wait." Child suddenly spoke, his voice deteriorating, and Nine paused mid-stride. He didn't turn to face him as he honestly didn't plan to continue a fight if it was willing to swell once again. "I…. I thought he was down here." He admitted and Nine blinked in confusion before asking, "The Machine?" Child paused before answering, "The Chancellor." Now Nine turned to face him, "The Chancellor? The Chancellor is no more. You know all of the humans are gone now." The pale male now turned away, crossing his arms only to rub them uncomfortably.

"Last week I was rummaging around and found a list of the bunkers. After looking further into it I realized one was labelled with the Chancellor's name and title. I just assumed that the bunker was made for him to seal himself in, to protect himself, and that he would be down here." He finally looked back to Nine as his face contorted into desperation, "I just couldn't stand the thought of not being able to say my share to him, even if it has come to this. I'm willing to take responsibility for my actions but I will not stand by while he doesn't take responsibility for his."

"So what were you going to do?" Nine asked in complete curiosity, no worry in his voice, no distrust. Child looked towards the ground is perhaps shame, "Honestly? Most likely gloat, then rant, rave a bit; give him a severe vocal attack and leave feeling unsatisfied. It would feel wonderful during it and that is worth the bitter taste afterwards." Nine nearly agreed, then nearly spoke against it because of the 'bitter taste', and finally decided on a simple, "I think I understand." Child just stared at him with a blank expression.

"I'm not just saying that, either." Nine admitted, looking over at the boxes past Child and at the supplies inside of them. "When I first found out what happened to Father I felt bad for him, but then I had to hurry to find the others, so I never got a chance to actually feel angry at those who hurt him." Child seemed to ease and admitted, "There is nothing wrong with feeling anger, Poppet. Just as long as you don't let it fester." Nine's brows furrowed a bit, "I am angry." He muttered before letting out a quick exhale, as though releasing it with that simple comment.

"But… I'm not that angry. If it wasn't for the humans we wouldn't exist at all and in the end they were the ones who paid a terrible price. They lost everything and we gained everything, so I can't stay mad at that." Child didn't answer as he began contemplating Nine's words. Before he could finish Nine reached out and put a hand on his shoulder in a comforting manner. His mate looked to him and Nine forced a small smile, to which Child sighed and did so as well.

He clearly wasn't completely ready to accept the failure, but still did, and the zippered male started leading him back to the front of the bunker. Not a word was exchanged between them and both knew it was time to head home yet again. Though the albino reluctantly did admit one fact; if it hadn't had been for the humans then he wouldn't have had someone like Nine.

If he was honest with himself then that was more than worth it.

* * *

**Mable: Yeah, the baby is still stalling, but it's bound to be out by the next chapter, right? Well, we'll have to see. Don't worry, tomorrow's chapter will be on time no matter what, this was a complete accident on my part. I guess sometimes I just lose track of time**


	5. Chapter 5: The Endeavor's Rewards

**Mable: Chapter five is here! As we know, five is sort of my lucky number, so let's the chapter goes well. I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

* * *

_**Fabric Runs Shallow**_

_Chapter Five: The Endeavor's Rewards_

Two was having trouble keeping from panicking. He was tired and the pain in his abdomen was growing until it continued to pulse without stopping. There were no longer intervals of pain signaling the soul of the baby and his own soul being ready to separate, it was just a constant ache. He was panting a little and continued to remind himself that he had done this before. Five wasn't rubbing his back anymore because Two couldn't bear sitting up for very long so he now assisted One by holding an inkwell of water beside him.

Meanwhile One dabbed a clean rag into the water and would gently pat around Two's face and neck. Once again came the time when he asked, "Is it time?" Two wished, but his body still didn't feel ready. "No." He answered pitifully as he couldn't much talk anymore without panting, "Almost there. Not quite." It was about this time that Six suddenly peeked in once again, "Do you need something?" He offered quietly, almost fearful that he would make the situation worse. Two forced a smile, "No, Six, it's fine. Where's Twone?"

"He's asleep." Six answered, "But he's okay. He's worried about the baby." Both One and Two smiled at this comment as One again rubbed the rag over Two's forehead, "By time he awakes he will probably be able to see his new sibling himself." Five agreed with a quick, "It won't be long now. Hang in there, Two, you're doing great." He took his mentor's hand and squeezed it pleasantly to which the Inventor squeezed back. He was starting to relax again and laid back in a relaxed position again.

That was, until Julius suddenly appeared, nearly running in past Six and coming to Two's bedside. "I was just told. How far along are you? Is everything going as expected?" As he had not been present for the first birth he was alight with questions and such. "Yes, everything is just fine." One answered for Two's sake as he wanted to keep him calm and comforted. The Inventor pressed into the wet rag and was thankful for the coolness on his burning head.

Six pulled back out of the room and stood there for a few seconds before wandering down the hall towards the throne room once again. He wouldn't say he wasn't worried, but he was pretty sure that the baby was going to be born fine, elsewise he would've seen something in his nightmares. He passed through the throne room and looked over to see Seven perched on the throne, Twenty-One curled on in her lap asleep, and the striped Artist smiled at the scene before entering the next hall. That's when he was able he hear noise in his own bedroom.

Eight was waking up and Six opened the curtain and peered inside. The Guard was now sitting on the side of the bed, a little groggy from waking up early, and looked over to see the striped one. "Hey," He greeted, "What are you doing up?" Six guessed that Eight assumed he had another nightmare, but instead he was somewhat glad to admit that instead of this it was something else. "Two's having the baby." Eight suddenly got a look of absolute dread and it amused the smaller a bit more, "It's okay. Everything's going fine."

This got a look of relief and Eight rubbed his forehead as Six wandered over to stand before him, "I didn't want to wake you again." He admitted and Eight merely reach out to grab ahold of Six, softly pulling him in. Six pressed into Eight's chest like Twenty-One pressed into Seven. Burying his face into Eight's shoulder and cuddling into him, to which Eight responded positively and held the smaller closer to him. Just a few minutes to relax and Six suddenly felt his body begin to cave to its weariness from waking so early.

He leaned upwards to press his lips to the corner of Eight's own in a silent gesture to which Eight returned on the striped one's forehead. Just a moment of silence that wasn't able to last too long as the sound of footsteps passed the room. It was the twins and reminded them that the others were awake. They slowed their methods down before it could turn into anything more. This was good enough for now.

Meanwhile, the twins entered the throne room where they approached Seven who quietly beckoned them over. They understood; Twenty-One was asleep and her calling over would most likely wake him. Once they got close she explained the situation. Three's optics widened and mouth agape, Four covered her own mouth with her hands in surprise, and both looked to Seven with questioning. "He's okay." She warned, "and None's downstairs waiting for Nine to return." Three then turned to head back to One and Two's room.

Four caught her wrist and Seven noticed a quick display between the two. Four's optics flickered with pleading, Three's with questioning, and then Three's with acceptance as the two changed direction to head towards the bucket lift instead. Seven didn't understand what just occurred which surprised her as usually she understood the twins so well. It was almost as though Four didn't want to go downstairs alone and Seven wondered why she would suddenly be unable to do so. Either way, the thoughts were stopped when Five entered the throne room.

He began to walk in circles, rubbing his patch and forehead anxiously until Seven asked, "Five?" The Healer looked over and admitted, "The baby's coming." Seven stared at him briefly, "The baby's been coming for about an hour or so." She responded and right after this Five responded, "No, it's… It's really coming, they're taking it out right now." Sure enough right at this moment Seven could hear a sharp gasp through the hall and knew that the baby was probably being removed. She understood Five's nervous.

For the first time in quite a while, she felt it as well.

* * *

Nine didn't know whether to praise the fact that the light was filling the skies or be weary as he knew the heat would be upon them. He finally settled on relieving praise while Child apparently settled on discontentment. He expressed disinterest in walking much farther, but as they continued to the Sanctuary they knew it was only a short while of a walk. They trekked back to the tall wall and to the area that they would climb through, yet things couldn't be easy in the slightest. At the toy of the crumbled wall Child glanced back and stopped.

"Creator, it's back." He muttered and Nine spun around and stared down at the base of the mound to see the lump of fabric, fronted by three red optics, was there once again. The Beast had followed them back here. "We can't let it follow us back to the others." Child pointed out, "We already have one Beast too many that we tried to rehabilitate with terrifying results. This one can't become an issue." Nine looked around before looking at the rubble, "We could throw a rock or something. Might scare it off and maybe it'll leave."

He checked for a proper rock and then looked it over before tossing and catching it a few times. "Can you throw that far?" Child questioned, seemingly agreeing with the idea, and Nine nodded, "It's at a downward trajectory so I can manage." He paused before pulling his arm back and pitching the rock throw the air and having it precisely landing on top of the Beast. For the first time it actually moved and both of the Stitchpunks watched as some sort of thick metal pole raised from the fabric, its side's opening to reveal what looked like a makeshift fan.

"What is that?" Nine asked quietly and Child just stared as though he recognized it, "That was a horrible mistake." Then suddenly the fabric moved and stretched out to reveal two wings and the body underneath. The fan spun, the wings beat with a quickness that put a Winged Beast to shame, and it raised off of the ground into the air. Underneath its eyes unfolded a long blade that narrowed nearly like a needle and its body was a round bulb with a group of six arms coming from its body and hanging down. Nine recognized that humming and vibrating noise once again.

"It is a shabby, metal, Mosquito." Child pointed out with his voice revealing slight caution. Before Nine could even ask the Beast suddenly lunged forward straight at him. He managed to jump back as its beak stabbed into some of the rubble. "Nine, run!" The zippered male didn't have a chance before the Mosquito Beast brought its beak out and swung at him. Like a heavy blade it hit Nine and knocked him back, down the rubble and slamming into the side of a petrified human body.

He looked upwards just in time to see it coming at him again. It took a few seconds to get into the air, but then would move so quickly that it was jarring, perching before Nine. He guessed that it was because he threw the rock that it was so aggressive, but its optics seemed to focus on his alit Lightstaff which had come on during the confusion, and it released a dull chattering noise before stabbing its beak down again. Nine pressed back against the body to dodge, the beak stabbed into the ground, pulled out and aimed again.

Nine leapt out of the way to the side as it grazed his foot, the beak stabbed into the ground, and then pulled out to aim again. It was at this time that Child got over to leap onto the back of the Mosquito Beast under the circulating blades that angled in an attempt to swipe him. The Beast now became aimed at attacking Child who starting to cut at its wing with his blade. It felt the attack and rolled its body on the dirt, tossing him off. He quickly rose to his feet, optics alit in red, and as he approached the Beast nearly submitted to him. Unfortunately it wasn't enough and his influence was not great enough to fool the creature.

If anything it infuriated it and it charged. Child dove to the side only to be clipped by the metal rods holding its wing together. He was thrown into a tipped over telephone pole and Nine watched in horror as his head struck it. His body limply fell to the ground and while he immediately started to shuffle around, his reflexes, and defending ability, was temporarily stunted. Worse still the Beast was beginning to drag itself towards the pale male. Nine knew he had to do something quickly and his mind formulated a plan when he noticed something nearby.

There was a portion of rubble that had worn away by a wall and revealed a small hole in said wall; It was an escape route. Looming on top of the wall was cinder block after cinder block; this was a weapon. Nine's mind immediately put something together and he quickly readied himself. Child's vision was slightly haze and his head was in excruciating pain. He had struck it too hard and as he turned himself to face the Beast before him he knew he needed to pull himself together.

It was strange; he didn't fear this creature before him and yet he knew it would kill him. He pressed back against the wood of the telephone pole, noticing the small opening below and realizing that he could escape. Yet those three optics glistening like rubies were staring down upon him with aggression and any attempt to escape would soon to be silenced. His blade had fallen amongst the rubble and was non-existent as he stood absolutely still. Any sudden movement was sure to trigger the Beast's attention.

That was when his own optics caught sight of the rock soaring through the air and landing onto the Beast's silent fan. It made a repeated clattering noise as it hit the blade before falling onto the metal body below, eventually finding its way to rest on the ground. The Mosquito Beast's head flipped around to face none other than Nine standing nearby. His face was marred with determination and he turned on his Lightstaff. The bulb caught the Mosquito's attention as Child spun around and slipped under the telephone pole.

The Mosquito Beast began to stare at the bulb and took off of the ground, wings beating and fan spinning as it sped towards Nine who turned and ran. His pulse raced as he headed back to the crack in the wall. Suddenly he released his staff right before the hole and slid through to the other side. He forced himself to keep going at he scaled the crumbling wall to the top. The Mosquito Beast had crashed into the base of the wall and was now attacking at the Lightstaff. Nine quickly found a loose cinderblock above the Beast and shoved it with all his might.

It toppled over and fell upon the Beast's fan, cracking the blades and causing it to release a slow hissing noise. It was the noise of its body releasing air like bellows and Nine noticed that its optics were now lacking their normal, red coloring. He was shocked that the crushing had worked at all and cautiously climbed down to the ground before crossing to the Beast, nudging it with his foot. The body spasm and he jumped back in defense. However, it was quickly apparent that it was the nerves that caused it to twitch, not actual alertness.

"Child!" He called over the Beast's body and Child called back, "Are you hurt?" Nine shook his head before realizing that type of answer wouldn't suffice, "No, I'm not. You?" Child answered negatively and Nine exhaled, "Alright, that's good. Can you help me find where my Lightstaff went?" As his optics started to scan around the Beast something suddenly flickered in his mind and he glanced over in the direction of the sudden point of interest. Then he stared, frozen, before beginning to head over towards it.

His Lightstaff could go ignored; he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

* * *

Two couldn't stand it. The pain was so sharp and as constant as the light glistened before him, coming from his depths as One's hands moved inside him. He couldn't speak and could only grasp the blanket beneath him tightly as he felt weight being lifted. There was a sharp snapping noise as something was unplugged, a cord, and suddenly the light started to die away. It was only then that Two's audio receptors were suddenly hit with a squealing noise. A shrill cry ringing through the bedroom and coming from right before him.

One had it cradled in his arms immediately and stared down upon the small Stitchpunk with a love and wonder that could have only been matched during Twenty-One's birth. Joy passed Two's face, and relief as the pain diminished to nothingness, and he reached out with determination. He needed to hold the child and One handed it over; he knew Two deserved to hold the baby first. The Inventor took it into his grasp and One grabbed for a small blanket to enwrap its tiny frame.

It continued to cry out in its confusion and fear, knowing nothing about the world except to curl against Two who was the closest, warmest thing nearby. Two smiled down for a few seconds before he broke down and began to actually weep. After all of this the baby had finally arrived, "Our little doll. Our precious little doll. One, come see our baby." The Leader came to his mate's side and looked down upon his youngest child with pure pride in his slanted optics. Julius, who was standing nearby, was going somewhat ignored. Which was fine since he was watching such a touching scene.

"You did wonderfully." One praised before pressing his mouth to the top of Two's head and then reaching down to caress the baby's cheek. Julius spoke, "Congratulations to you both. Should I go tell the others the good news?" Two tiredly nodded and after a second One spoke, "Yes… In fact, tell them they may come in to visit, but let them know that it must be quick." Julius smiled before turning to leave. He was more than glad when he entered into the throne room to see most of the others.

None and the twins had come back to discuss Nine's disappearance with the others, Eight was sharpening his knife, Seven still held Twenty-One, Six drew absentmindedly, Five paced anxiously, Cat clawed at the walls, and they all waited for some sort of information. The Scientist smiled at the others with a warm demeanor, "All is well. The baby has been born." Everyone perked and shared looks of being pleased. "The baby's okay? Two too?" Five asked and Julius nodded, "Both of them are perfectly well and are accepting visitors."

With this, Six nearly took off towards the hall, and Five followed with him. Seven was the next as she was carrying Twenty-One who by now was awake again and took the word 'Baby' as a good sign. The others filed behind and soon they were outside the door, waiting for One as they knew if they rushed in the Leader was bound to have a fit. He appeared, light hearted and with the same mirth that their parent had, and took Twenty-One into his grasp, "Twone, are you ready to meet the new baby?" He asked and the little one immediately perked, "Yes! I want see Baby!"

The Leader headed inside and Five followed him inside behind him to see Two and the new baby. As the Inventor pulled the fabric down around its face they could see more of its features. Large pupils that hadn't yet adjusted to the world around. A tiny frame with a head topped with a small knot like One's. Blue ties, or ribbons, wrapped around its waist like belts and tied into neat bows. Its hands and feet were small as a newborn baby's needed to be. It's optics were closing fast and instinct took over as it naturally began to relax against Two, somewhat recognizing him as being safe.

Twenty-One was brought to sit on the bed beside Two where he stared down at the infant, "It's Baby?" He asked and Two nodded, "Yes, Twenty-One. This is the new baby, this is Twelve." It's optics were now shut which the other Stitchling Pup noticed, "Is it a sleep?" He asked in confusion as he watched with interest to which One responded with a small, "Yes." Twenty-One reached out to touch the baby's face hesitantly, "It's sleepy baby." He whispered out, knowing he needed to be quiet, and the two proud parents sent each other smiles.

"Gosh, Two." Five began softly, "It's- I just- Wow…" He didn't exactly know what to say and so instead Eight spoke, "Cute kid." Eight wasn't the type to usually say 'cute', unless it was alone with Six who was just happening to be acting as such, but it was different in this case. It was an adorable baby and reassurance to the parents was only proper. It helped that One was his boss as well. One's ego swelled a bit, it was evident in his face, and he added in, "Yes. She certainly is." Seven perked at this, "It's a girl." There was clear interest in her voice.

"She is. Our beautiful, little girl." Two pointed out with pure endearment in his voice. The others were also starting to fall into joyous comments and happiness. Though quickly into the event One suddenly changed tone, "I thank you all for sharing in this momentous occasion with us. Now scurry along." He made brushing off motions and there was a moment of pausing between everyone. Then, finally, they started to file out. Nobody was offended enough to say anything. If anything they were disappointed at being pulled away from the baby so quickly. Though once they stepped out None felt the need to speak, "Well, that was nice… For the couple of seconds it lasted."

Two usually would have insisted they stayed, but he was beginning to grow more and wearier. The small baby in his grasp also wanted the rest and he only moved her slightly so that he could use one arm to wrap around Twenty-One who laid against his shoulder tiredly, losing interest in the baby for the moment. The small family was content and as Two and One looked down upon the small beings that they had created, before and now, they knew that there was nothing in the world better than this.

They had finally welcomed their baby home.

* * *

**Mable: The baby is finally here! Welcome to little Twelve; the tiny princess! ^-^ The next chapter will be posted tomorrow. I hope everyone enjoyed!**


	6. Chapter 6: The Newfound Worth

**Mable: Here's chapter six! I don't have much to say this time so I'll just say that I don't own 9 and Enjoy!**

* * *

_**Fabric Runs Shallow**_

_Chapter Six: The Newfound Worth_

Child saw only a part of the staff poking out from underneath the Beast's body and reached under before dragging it out. Once it gave and came free he was immediately met with what happened. The bulb was shattered and Child winced; Nine would not be pleased to see this. _"I can fix it quickly enough if we can get ahold of another bulb." _For a few seconds he then stared at the Beast laying before him. It hadn't batted an eye at his own tactics and it confused him, _"Either they are becoming smarter or I am becoming less of a threat. Either way, this will be back to haunt me."_

Before he could continue pondering, Nine's voice suddenly rang out, "Child?" The pale male called back, "I'm over here. I found your staff." Then muttered to himself, "Though I wouldn't be willing to call it a 'light' staff anymore…." He pointed out before pausing when he heard that the other wasn't coming, "Nine?" Still no response and he glanced over in the direction of the other male's voice and soon started heading over. Halfway there he heard Nine's voice again, "Child, you need to come here." His voice was quiet and hesitant.

The tone caused Child to suddenly quicken his pace and hurry to Nine's side where the Stitchpunk stood and stared down something nearby; a human body. Child flinched at the body and averted his optics, using his hand to block out the sight of it; the last thing he wanted was to stare at a corpse. "Nine, come on, we should start heading home." He insisted to which Nine looked to him with wide optics, "Child, this- You didn't notice it either?" Child exhaled, "I am trying not to." The zippered male looked back over to the body and looked over, "You need to look at it."

Finally the pale male caved and looked over at the body. It laid there face down with its face partially revealed in a ghastly scream that had been paused and stunted for all of time. The pale one glanced back to his mate, "I see it." The burlap one then pointed out, "But do you see that on his arm?" Child looked over to the body's coat only to notice a patch on the arm that resembled the Machine Insignia. His mind seemed to blank itself as he stared at it because he could not only not recognize it, but his mind refused to start functioning to remember what it could mean.

"I'm not sure, my memory isn't the best, but I'm almost completely sure that I've seen that before." He paused, "When I was first created I passed this body and I didn't see the picture until later, but I'm almost definitely sure that I recognize that arm patch. Wasn't it on… The Chancellor?" Child's voice was quick, "No." Nine was insistent, "I'm positive I saw the Chancellor with one of those patches." He started closer towards the body and Child blocked it with his hand again, partially stubbornly not wanting to see the body.

"We don't have time for this." Child reminded and Nine merely circled to the front of the body, trying to look underneath its front. "Didn't he wear medals? Maybe not… No, wait, yeah. He did wear medals, they were just on the other side." Child inched forward, "Nine, leave the body be, and it's pronounced 'medals'." The other called back, "That's what I said." Immediately Child retorted, "No it wasn't. You said 'metals'." Nine insisted, "It sounded like that, but I said medals, not metals." Child prodded, "I know what I heard."

"Child." Nine exhaled as he straightened himself, finishing looking underneath and now trying to figure out why Child was toying with him. The two stared at each other for a few seconds before Child asked, "Are there medals on him?" Nine waited a few seconds before nodding slowly, to which Child's head dropped into his hand. The zippered male watched him hesitantly. He didn't really want to give Child stress, but this was something that they had to face. After all they came out here looking for answers and the Chancellor himself.

He also felt a small tug of suspicion as it seemed a little ironic that they had walked past the body, nearly twice, but he decided to consider it a coincidence for now. "Can you recognize what they are awards for?" The albino one asked to which the tan one answered, "No. Can you? I'll bring one out if you can." There was a second of silence, Nine waited patiently, and then Child admitted, "No. I wouldn't know the difference between one or the other." They stood on the same ground for a few seconds before Child turned away, clenching his fists and staring at the ground.

"This does not make any sense. He died halfway into the war, why would they leave his body here? Was he just that hated or were they just unwilling to move it?" He asked no one in particular. The question was not aimed at Nine and yet an answer was interrupted by another question. "How do you know when he died?" Nine's voice suddenly broke out and Child turned back quickly. He didn't expect Nine to catch his slip quicker than he had and he inhaled, paused, and exhaled.

"Halfway there I realized that he had to be dead. Maybe sooner, I'm not even sure anymore now that we found it just lying out here." He gestured to the body, but didn't look at it, "I was just too stubborn and headstrong to call the entire thing off…. For a second I knew what it was like to be you. Of course by then I couldn't turn back." He stated and Nine's face took a sympathetic tone, "I noticed that you started checking the boxes in the bunker. I thought it was strange, I didn't consider…"

The pale male felt somewhat flush; he didn't know whether to love or fear Nine's ability to catch the smallest detail, so perhaps he did both. Even with how careless Nine could seem at times he was still much too intelligent for anyone's good. At first he felt that nothing more needed to be said, but as Nine looked over towards the body again Child felt poorly. His fabric felt tainted, like how he felt when he stumbled forth from the depths of the Machine, and he confessed his sins before his mate. Almost as though he couldn't help it.

Sorrowfully he proclaimed, "But that wasn't the reason I knew. If I really think back then perhaps I can remember the day. Perhaps even the moment." Nine wasn't exactly surprised at anything past the fact that Child was willing to admit it. He already had acknowledged long ago that Child was a part of the Machine. "Don't." Nine insisted suddenly, "It's not worth remembering. We found the body, that's all that matters, so now you can say what you want." That was all that mattered; facing this and moving on.

Child stared at the Chancellor's barren face, empty and lifeless, and yet somewhere inside him there was something small that was almost glad he was gone. It made Child feel ill and he shivered before pulling his cape closer. Yet Child didn't react further so Nine looked back to the body himself before beginning to approach, looking it over and trying to stave his curiosity, his constant need to question and wonder. So this was the man who had turned against his Creator, yet he felt numbed. All he saw was another, fragile victim and he decided to keep that mindset.

Nine crouched down beside the Chancellor's body and found an edge of the medal which he drug out from underneath. He looked over the silver ornament, designed to somewhat resemble the insignia, and rubbed it until he could see his reflection. Suddenly he was stuck staring at himself and allowed his mind to wander. Not exactly to Child, but to the situation; he was standing here over the body of a deceased human, one of which lived in this world. Hundreds living in this world that were all now deceased so that he and his race could live.

Of course he knew this, but a few seconds of pausing to think about it made his head feel off balance, light headed, and took in his appearance. His mind went back to his past statement, "'_The world is ours now.'… I guess it is. They lost everything and we gained everything from it… Were we made to fix their past mistakes… Or were we just made to learn from them?" _He quickly shook the moment away and stood once again with a slight gain in appreciation towards his world, then looked over to Child, "Are you okay?"

Child rubbed at his arms, "No." Then added a bit later, "but I will be." The zippered male smiled and crossed over to his mate, "Let's go home. We can bury this somewhere on the way." The other agreed and wrapped an arm around his back to hold him close. Of course, this was when Nine saw his Lightstaff and his face suddenly contorted in alarm, then faded back to a normal smile, "Ah… Looks like we need to find a bulb on the way home too." The other silently agreed and they continued along quietly back towards the Library.

Only part of the way there and Nine noticed Child was watching him, his arm still around him, "Something on your mind?" He asked in a friendly fashion and Child responded in a warm tone that wasn't expected this soon after the previous event. "Yes. You are." He suddenly moved in and pressed his lips against Nine's neck in an intimate gesture, one that Nine again recognized but didn't expect at the moment. Yet his gesture was nice and Child added in, "Thank you for coming along. I may not say it as much as I should, but I need you."

Nine corrected, "Actually, I don't think you've ever said it… But I was happy to come. Even if it meant I had to hide and watch from the background." The pale male pressed further against him while halting his steps, Nine stopping as well so that he could be fully taken into the other's grasp, "Sometimes I don't say what I need to, but at least I am not as difficult to live with as One is, under most circumstances." Nine blinked; wherever that had come from was sudden. "I supposed so. I never really thought of it that way."

He was clearly amused and Child squeezed a bit firmer in his embrace, "I'm sorry for this, this insanity, and I swear that I will not make the same mistake twice. I will never put this much effort into anything involving humans again, I swear to it." This actually got real laughter from Nine and afterwards he took ahold of his broken Lightstaff before leaning forward and pressing his lips back to Child's. He meant to pull back and make another comment, but for some reason they suddenly got stuck together.

Their lips couldn't be drug apart as Child and Nine found that they suddenly needed this a bit more than any words. Hands clutched at each other, lips massaged, Child softly nipped at Nine's burlap while Nine released a small, breathy noise. When they did finally pull apart a short while later they were clearly still in need. Nine didn't know how to express this other than noting that they were in the open, "Maybe… Maybe we could stop for a bit and rest?" His words were laced with what could be another meaning, even if he didn't realize it.

Child glanced around before focusing on one that looked to be standing somewhat well. "Over there. That should be suitable." He looked back to Nine whose face held an endearment in it that caused the pale male's insides to grow into a mess of tingling and warmth. He could just see Nine's love in his face; the fact that he had been able to win that love from Seven still filled him with disbelief. After all, managing to get Nine, a confident and casually normal Stitchpunk male to be willing to share his life with another male, another male who was nothing like Seven, was a miracle.

Though part of him still slightly wondered if Nine held an affinity toward pale fabric, not that it bothered him. Keeping his fabric in check was one of the few things that could be done without much effort. He began to lead Nine in the direction of the building. They wandered inside one of the partially collapsed walls, headed to ascend the creaking stairs, and only stopped at the doorway to an abandoned nursery. "This looks safe enough." Nine pointed out before looking towards the bassinette with hesitation.

Child noticed and headed over, climbing onto it and peering inside, and then called over, "It's empty." This relieved Nine who crossed over, dropping the medal and his staff, which he was now carrying, on the base of the bassinette. He climbed the side, Child assisting towards the end, and then they sat down together inside of the bassinette together. At first they were awkwardly just sitting there as Nine's optics shifted to the mobile above. To the hanging shapes of multiple kinds of colors.

Then he asked, "I wonder what the family was like that lived here." Child shrugged, "Most likely a common family of upper class. A mother, father, perhaps two or three children, this being the youngest." He glanced to Nine and then added in, "From the looks of the drawers being torn open and the room being bare, I am assuming this is one of the families who fled during the beginning of the war." This seemed to ease Nine's mind quite a bit.

"Maybe they headed to Paris. You know, there could be humans still alive in there, down in the Catacombs." He continued explaining, "I was reading about them. Did you know there's miles and miles of tunnels leading under the city? It said that humans have gotten lost in the dark and have gone insane from claustrophobia." Child raised a brow and gave him a small bit of a smile, "Where did this come from all of a sudden?"

The zippered male shrugged with his own smile, "Somewhere. You know, you and I could explore them sometime if we go back to Paris. Just you and me, running around in the darkness, going stark raving mad together." His voice lowered during the end as their optics locked again. Child leaned closer to rest a hand on his back, "Poppet, I would be honored to get hopelessly lost in a tomb full of dusty remains with you." Then he pressed his lips to Nine's cheek before pausing where he was. Nine turned slightly and returned the kiss with his own eager mouth.

He couldn't explain it, but he knew that he wanted to continue, and he was somewhat aware of what was coming next. His mate helped lead him to lay down on the bassinette bedding. It was almost Stitchpunk sized and was a perfect opportunity. Their mouths continued to press together as they clutch each other. Nine's hands ran along Child's back and toyed with the small hooks and loops located there. He could feel Child's hand on his hip, the other resting on the bed above him to hold him over the younger. Then he adjusted himself and his one had moved to rest upon Nine's zipper pull.

The Stitchpunk felt his breath catch into the motion. The albino male pulled his mouth back before pressing his forehead against Nine's. "I love you." He purred in adoration and Nine felt his somewhat excited body calm just a little, "I love you too, _Muffin._" The other chuckled and began to slowly pull down Nine's zipper pull. The dull noise of him being unzipped filled both of their audio receptors and the younger felt a little nervous. Yet he wanted to do whatever came naturally, he wanted to do this with Child.

Soon he was opened and the pale one gently stroked his side and arm, not yet daring to touch Nine any further. So instead Nine made the next move. He reached out and touched the hook and eye closures on his mate's front. Perhaps he would feel less awkward if the other was opened as well, and his somewhat shaky hands began to do so, opening his fabric. Child waited patiently as the other did so and soon his own metals, and his Talisman port, were visible. Nine reached out to run his hand over the indentions.

This wasn't the first time he had touched it, but this felt like the first time he had touched it so intimately. Child closed his optics and clearly accepted the touches gladly. Then he leaned down to meet their lips together, Nine once again returning the kiss, and what came next was surprisingly natural. Honestly both had a good enough idea about what was coming, but it didn't brace them for what was coming. It was a vibrant light engulfing them both and filling their souls with a pleasure that was unknown until that point.

Two beings temporarily bonding into one as their souls touched for a moment that sounded like an eternity. A euphoria brought on by something so romantic and so utterly trust filled that it turned a broken down nursery into paradise. The Machines didn't matter, the humans didn't matter, they were just lost in each other. Enchanted by something greater than either of them expected. Yet it couldn't last forever and while climax brought heights that seemed to near heaven they soon tumbled back into their bodies once again. A waltz of souls that finally came to an end as the melodies of gasps and cries concluded.

They wound down like a Phonograph that had went its course and ended its haunting melody by slowing and fading. Then Nine came back to reality laying against his mate. The two of them now laying in the bassinette together, both panting in sync, trying to regain whatever control of their body they had left. The albino had an arm wrapped around Nine's back and holding him close. The free arm's hand was locked with Nine's free hand, fingers intertwined together, rustic metal and modern copper. They just did it out of reflex after something so fantastic that they had done.

Nine's other arm was splayed out above him, unused and limp. He couldn't believe what he had just done and rested his head against his mate's own. This began a fit of light nuzzling between the two as they drifted in and out of consciousness. Child whispering sweet nothings in Luxembourgish, Nine too tired to attempt to translate them, and soon them falling fast asleep. The Savior and the Source together.

Hours later Nine did reemerge into the world groggily. Glancing out the window he could see that the sun was visible in the window, but had not yet reached its peak, which meant he guessed it was still a little while before noon. Sometime during their nap Child began clinging to him and was nearly completely atop him as he nudged him awake. "Child?" He said softly to his mate, "It's almost noon. We need to get home." Part of Nine was fine sleeping the day away in Child's arms, but he knew that the others would be worried.

Child began to awaken slowly and he was clearly still groggy. Yet at the same time he was immediately pressing into Nine again lovingly, kissing his shoulder, "One must have noticed our disappearance by now." Nine nodded with an exhale, "Yeah… He's probably got Five to tell him where we went by now… By the way, Five knows." The pale male pressed his lips to Nine's cheek affectionately, not exactly worried about being caught, but the two soon stood alongside each other and began to head back towards the Library together.

Eventually they made it to the courtyard and only then did Child address the medal, "So was the plan to bury it? Make a grave like we did before?" He explained looking over at the award. Nine stared down at it for a few seconds before smiling, "That would probably be the best thing… But I don't know. Maybe we should keep it. A memoire like this would work better above ground." Child seemed to agree and leaned over, looking at the medal and becoming a bit fonder of it.

Even though it was a human object it still attracted his attention, and pressed it into Nine's hands. "I want you to have it. Consider it some sort of reward for destroying the Mosquito Beast so quickly. It's amazing what you can do with a properly placed wall with a Stitchpunk sized gap in the bottom, loose cinderblocks, and a proper distraction." He was clearly purposely joking with Nine as he had a small bit of a smirk on his lips. "You make a pretty good distraction." Nine pointed out, "and considering the fact that you just hopped on its back two inches under a fan blade, it's a good thing I have such abilities."

Child leaned forward and pressed his cheek against the other male's cheek, "_Raffineiert, Neng."_ He purred the words warmly and the zippered male pressed back. A few seconds passed before he spoke, "Let's head inside. One's probably getting tired of standing at the top of the bucket lift, glaring down and waiting for us." Child exhaled and the two began to head inside, only for Nine to abruptly stop in the doorway, "We forgot to get a new bulb." He couldn't believe that he forgot one of the most important things, yet Child continued to coax him inside, "I will find one later."

This seemed to keep Nine going as he honestly was starting to feel like he wanted to get home. They boarded the lift to which Child held the items while Nine used the lift. His body was still a little tired from their activities earlier. Yet at the same time there was a lingering euphoria left over. Nine still felt glad, he felt loved, and from Child's good mood he expected that he was too. They get to the top of the lift and were immediately alerted by speaking between One and Two. "Damn, an ambush."

Child flatly pointed out and Nine silently agreed; from One's annoyed tone he clearly knew they had been gone. That's when Two mentioned going out to greet them and Nine felt a smile form. Just as usual, Two would use any excuse to be social, even if One was clearly against it. That's when the Inventor appeared out of the hall. "Nine, Child, welcome home!" He greeted to them both. Nine would've returned the greeting, but instead his optics dropped down to the fact that Two's belly was replaced with him nonchalantly carrying around an infant who Nine didn't recognize.

"You two must be exhausted; being gone for hours. Oh, what's that you found?" He took the medal with one hand and began to look it over while Nine's confused and surprised face turned to look at Child's confused and surprised face. Silently wondering exactly what happened while they were gone.

Nine stood by his beginning point; things had definitely changed.

* * *

**Mable: Tomorrow's my birthday! Unfortunately, I will not have an update tomorrow, or Sunday, but I'm planning to return Monday with more chapters! Just taking a short break to celebrate the weekend. ^-^^ Child said "Clever, Nine" and said it in Luxembourgish simply because he likes to show off with Nine. XD Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed!**


	7. Chapter 7: The Concealed Concerns

**Mable: And so the second part of the first arc starts!... Err, or continues, more like. Either way, here it is! I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

* * *

_**Fabric Runs Shallow**_

_Chapter Seven: The Concealed Concerns_

"Such a precious little princess, aren't you?" Two cooed down into his arms where his new daughter stared up at him with wide optics. He was perched on the throne and allowing the others to come look at said baby with a warm smile stretched on his face. Twenty-One was also there but on the carpet playing with his toys nearby. Most of the others were simply balancing between visiting the new Stitchpunk and trying to figure out a normal schedule as well around it. One, however, decided to regain normal behavior by firmly confronting Nine on where he had been the night before.

The zippered male couldn't help but feel slightly betrayed and partially amused when Child took off with a look of horror. Nine explained most of the story; Child and he went out to scout, his Lightstaff was broken, and they left so early that they stopped to rest mid-way. That was until One gave him an unimpressed look and responded with, "What type was it?" Nine relinquished his mock innocence, "It was a Mosquito Beast, but it's not an issue anymore." One's optics scrutinized him while Nine insisted, "It was bound to happen eventually and it wasn't even that aggressive."

He then began to explain more about said Beast while watering down most of the details. Five passed at this point and gave Nine a sympathetic pat on the shoulder in which the zippered male quickly greeted him. It was reassuring that he had no hard feelings towards One eventually finding out about what happened. Because of that, Five felt a bit better, and headed over to see the new baby. As he looked down at her Three wandered up and planted a warm kiss on his cheek to which he smiled before becoming confused when she right afterwards pulled away.

"Three?" He asked in confusion and looked to her to notice that she was starting to approach the bucket lift. She gave him a sweet smile and pointed to her twin and None before following after them eagerly. The Healer suddenly felt his mood drop once again as he realized another odd fact about his somewhat hesitating relationship with Three. She was constantly running off with None and her twin. While it was normal to be with her twin, there was something confusing about the sudden amount of time that she was spending with None.

"_I shouldn't be thinking like this." _Five mentally scolded himself. He knew that it was jealousy and he knew that he had felt it before. Five's jealousy didn't present itself as bluntly as expected. To Five, it appeared as concern and worry, and not an aggression that was usually known to come. As such he predicted that this bit of concern and worry had to be a bit of jealousy, and jealousy in its own didn't tend to be a positive occurrence. Instead he looked down at the new baby who was still looking upwards at Two with an innocent admiration; as though it barely knew Two and yet completely idolized him.

It was probably because Two was closest. Twelve didn't seem to have good eyesight yet and could see much past her own hand so when something was close she would stare at it in wonder. Five also noticed the tiny ribbon now tied on the female's head knot and softly reached out to touch it. His fingers gently ran over the navy ribbon and knot as he looked to Two who smiled and nodded a bit, telling him to continue. Five did, rubbing the head knot and watching as she looked upwards towards the thing above her. "She's beautiful, Two." He complimented again to which the male looked pleased.

At that point Twenty-One looked back from his position on the floor. Five noticed him staring and greeted him. This got a pleased look and he stood before toddling over, "Can I touch Baby?" He inquired and, again, Five looked to Two. "Of course, Twone." Two responded, "Five, could you help him?" The Healer leaned over to lift Twenty-One and held him over his sibling. The tiny Stitchpunk reached out and squeezed her tiny hand with his own. "Hello little Baby!" He said a bit loudly, but thankfully the infant flinched instead of bursting out into tears or anything.

Then Twenty-One became a bit upset and looked to his parent, "Papa, she's not doing things." He pointed out and Two chuckled, "She's too young, Twenty-One. She doesn't know how to talk yet, or really smile, but she does love you and she's happy to meet you." Twenty-One perked a little and looked back to Twelve before squeezing her fist again, "Okay." He merely answered before continuing to study her. Five patted Two's shoulder before looking over. One was starting away from Nine and so the Healer decided to talk to him.

"I'll be right back." He spoke before crossing over towards his friend who now looked a bit weary after spending so long talking to One. "Sorry. He got it out of me after you left." Nine managed to shrug it off somewhat, "I'm sure he was probably waiting all morning for that." He rubbed his neck tiredly and Five asked, "You guys were gone for a while. I'm guessing you ran into trouble?" At this Nine suddenly looked flustered, "You… Can say that." He laughed a little nervously and suddenly changed the subject, "Did you see where None went?"

"Down in the Library with Three and Four" Five pitifully explained, his voice clearly revealing his distress, and Nine blinked, "They're… Spending a lot of time together." He suggested and Five suddenly clenched and became a bit paranoid, "You noticed too? I was- I mean-…" He exhaled tiredly, "Two said it's normal for couples to be apart, but it feels like Three's avoiding me, and maybe she and Four are bringing None so that it'll seem less obvious." He then actually paused and then laughed a little, suddenly seemingly returning to normal.

Really it just felt better to pretend it wasn't anything at all. "I just realized how over-dramatic I'm being. Two was right, I'm just doing the same thing I did when I thought _you_ wanted to be with Three." Suddenly he felt a lot better about this, but surprisingly Nine didn't, and he was not a bit curious. He decided to help keep Five's relaxed demeanor, "None's probably studying something and getting them to help him, you know? We talked about another trip somewhere so maybe he's trying to keep it quiet from One." Five nodded, "That's true. It's probably just that. I can't believe I'm worrying about nothing."

"Maybe I'll ask him later." Nine pointed out, "But if you're this concerned you should probably talk to Three about it." The Healer nodded before Nine added in, "In the meantime, think you can help me with this?" He showed his friend the Lightstaff and Five immediately smiled, "I think I can do that much."

* * *

_Someone thrown into the darkness, another crushed under an unseen force, bubbling ink raising over his own head; yet standing through the darkness he could see the dark figure, dripping with an oily, black substance and standing tall. It wasn't recognized, but it was titled. It was a Beast in Stitchpunks' fabric, a monster coming down, and it had overtaken the Sanctuary. It had taken over everything._

Mismatched optics shot open and he shivered in his bedding. He had known that a nap was risky, considering his recent nightmares, but he had still caved and faced the consequences. His blanket was tightened around him and he shivered a bit at the cool air. He was feeling uncomfortable and ill, perhaps budding with a fever, and yet tried to shrug it off as he rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling high above him. His bedroom was the same as always; covered in random drawings of nightmares and other inspirations.

Thus leaving it a gallery that went well with him; mismatched with aspirations, the occasional nice feeling, but something darker looming under the surface. There was something certainly looming under Six's fabric, though. He had a clear idea what was coming but couldn't put every piece together except that he knew it was a Stitchpunk, or something that resembled one, and that it was going to come into power very quickly. _"There's someone out there still…" _Six thought to himself as he reached up to grasp on the key ring around his neck.

"_There's someone out there and they're going to come here and hurt us, and they'll let it happen because it's a Stitchpunk, right?" _His other hand moved to rub at his face, the dried ink flaking off when pressed into the canvas on his forehead that felt warm. "Head hurts…" He spoke to himself and looked over across the room tiredly. He couldn't really focus on much other than the growing dread and trying to figure out what he could do to stop the coming threat. Yet there was nothing that came to mind.

He shivered a little bit and pulled the blanket over his frame, feeling a little better from it. Something about wrapping himself in warm fabric was nice. Being enwrapped and being warmed past the point where it was probably healthy. Either way, he started to feel a little better and moved to stand and cross the room over to his inkwell which he stared into. The ink was running low, but it didn't matter much and he expected that the others would probably find some in the future, he would just have to remind them.

The blanket was pulled over his head and wrapped around him and the inkwell which he now held close to his chest. Then he headed out towards the throne room, stopping in the actual room that Eight and he shared to grab what paper he had left. The throne room felt too filled to be comfortable. The corner that he usually sat in to draw was presently being taken my Seven who was speaking to Eight and Cat at the present, probably about training or something, and Six quietly decided to take the corner by the throne instead.

Two and Five were looking at the baby and Six himself sort of wanted to look over as well. Yet he waited until Five wandered over to Nine's side, once One himself was absent, and then scurried over. After so many nightmares and so little sleep Six was feeling strange and somewhat unsocial. Thankfully Two was easy to be social with and since he was still weak after the birth he wasn't ready to begin making up for lost time by working. Though it didn't help that two infants were now in his lap, Twelve asleep again and Twenty-One just resting against Two, letting his Papa pet his head.

"Good morning, Six. Or perhaps afternoon." He greeted playfully and Six forced a smile as he adjusted his blanket around him, "Hello. Can I see?" he stumbled on his words and the Inventor noticed. "Of course, Six." He spoke and moved his arm down a bit so she could see Twelve's face. Then he felt the need to ask, "How was your rest?" he asked and Six shrugged it off as he peered down at the infant. Six found himself smiling through any troubling thoughts. To see the new pup again was enough to ease his mind.

"Are you cold?" Two guessed while looking at the blanket and Six silently nodded before feeling his body tense when Two's hand pulled back from Twenty-One and pressed to his forehead. Twenty-One was clearly inquisitive at such and his slanted optics stared at the scene in a scrutinizing fashion that resembled One's. "You feel a bit warm. Have you been having any aches or pains?" Two asked and Six quietly responded with, "My head, a little, but I'm okay. Nothing else hurts. I'm just a little cold."

"That's probably from the fever." Two pointed out, "Just try not to overdo it today." At this moment Twenty-One let out a small, disgruntled noise and reached upwards to grapple onto Two's arm. The Inventor looking down, looking amused, and then returning to petting his head, "Just as impatient as his father." Six took this distraction to cross back to his things and kneeled down before beginning to draw. It wasn't too long until he heard the sound of heavy footsteps and realized quickly who it was.

His makeshift hood was pulled back in a playful and remarkable fashion that noted Eight as the culprit immediately. Six leaned his head back and looked up at the Guard before smiling to him. Even with the nightmares Eight brightened his day. "Hello." He greeted and Eight responded, "Hey. Get any sleep?" The striped one nodded and decided not to mention the nightmare. "So which one of them are you trying to look like; the twins or the boss?" He teased and the joke wasn't wasted on Six, "Both at once?"

Of course he noticed Eight's inquisitive look past this and realized that he actually wanted to know the real reason. It was odd behavior, even for Six, and he decided to reassure his mate before he thought he was acting more insane than usual, "I'm feeling a little cold." Eight raised a brow before suggesting, "I could get you a jacket or something." This meant having to go through the winter supplies that were stacked away and Six found it easier to decline, "I'm okay like this. You don't have to do that."

Eight leaned against the wall by his normal post, "Did you have another nightmare?" He knew, he could already tell there had been one, and Six's face suddenly shifted into a mix of shame and fear. "I did." Eight went solemn, "I guessed as much. You've got that glazed look you get after one. Was it the same as last time?" Six's last couple of nightmares had been building to something and he was able to nod honestly, "Yeah… I saw more this time." There was an eerie silence before Eight asked, "Anything we should be worried about?"

To answer, Six requested something, "Eight… Can you answer a question for me? Please?" Eight looked confused but answered, "As long as it's nothing I have to do any quick math for. Shoot." The Artist looked at the inkwell before asking. Staring into what was left of the black ink as he asked, "Eight… If someone came… Another Stitchpunk, you wouldn't trust them all the way when you first met them, would you? You'd keep... We'd all be cautious, wouldn't we?" Eight wasn't sure where Six was going with the question, but answered honestly.

"I wouldn't, but you know how everyone else is. One wouldn't trust them, Five would, Two'd be nice, the twins would get way too close; why? Is this something to do with Cat?" Cat was the newest member so his abrupt assumption wasn't too far-fetched, though Six's stitched brows were now what raised. "Cat? No. No, I meant someone new. Someone who suddenly appeared out of nowhere." Eight sort of made a chuckling noise, or a mix between a chuckle and a scoff, and insisted, "Course not. Not when they just popped up out of nowhere."

"That's… Good to know." Six murmured softly and looked down to his paper before him. Eight was starting to become very aware that something was off with Six, but decided to leave him be, decided to leave it as 'just a nightmare'.

He knew he would regret it soon enough.

* * *

There was no denying it now, they were all starting to notice.

While None paced across the marble floor he felt his thoughts racing like a brewing storm. Five was definitely starting to pay more attention and Nine had noticed him when he walked by so no doubt he would be down here later asking around. It wasn't as though None really wanted to keep this a secret forever, it just sort of turned out that way, and now he had to figure out how to get this secret out without ruining his, and the twins', lives forever.

As he looked over at the two female pointing down at an open book he knew that the others wouldn't understand. Maybe Five would, but maybe that was because Five had neared the same predicament in the past, but back then Five at least had honesty on his side. It didn't help that None was sort of an enigma in the Sanctuary. He was basically a slightly more laid back, perhaps more childish, and admittedly slightly more observant copy of his twin. So while he felt and acted slightly different, the others were probably going to judge him on that.

It wasn't that he didn't like being Nine's twin, though. Honestly he very much loved Nine and enjoyed spending such close time together. Maybe it was the same twin bond that now put the twins in the same situation as him. Though he doubted they would be frowned upon as much as he was. All three of them were lying to those who they loved and while he wanted to believe that the others would understand he knew there would be a doubt of some kind, yet wasn't fully sure what kind. Whether or not it would be permanent and he would be forever branded.

After all, Nine would constantly carry the burden of being the one who awoke the Machine who went on a rampage, and while the others didn't see that one Nine did. It clearly would always be a tag attached to his mind that would only fade after years. None very well had the opportunity to carry a tag just the same. However, while he wanted to share everything with his twin he didn't very well think that he wanted to share this one.

That was it, he had to tell Five the truth, or Nine, or someone. He couldn't keep on going like this but he knew somehow it was worth it. All of this trouble was worth it. Looking at the two twins he knew why he started this in the first place. Over all, he couldn't lose this, not yet.

* * *

**Mable: Oh, so something **_**is **_**occurring with None, but what exactly? More to come on the update tomorrow! I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter!**


	8. Chapter 8: The Curiosity's Price

**Mable: Here comes chapter eight and another way-too-short author's note at the beginning. Ah, well, there's not much to talk about so I'll just continue with the story! I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

* * *

_**Fabric Runs Shallow**_

_Chapter Eight: The Curiosity's Price_

The sharp crying wasn't entirely unfamiliar. A wailing of a high pitched voice that was clearly the new baby Twelve awaking to darkness and loneliness. Eight could hear it through the wall as clearly as he had with Twenty-One's newborn cries. He also heard Twenty-One's quips for his parents as well, distressed that the baby was crying. Then the footsteps of two eager parents running about sealed Eight's fate. He doubted he would get back to sleep and tiredly rolled onto his back where he laid for a few seconds.

Finally he rolled onto his side where he reached out for Six. His hands met a clump of blankets and a pillow that had slid down, but no Six, and now he came to full alertness. "Six?" He spoke into the dark room and looked around to see if the striped one was around somewhere. Yet he wasn't and Eight had a good enough idea of where he went. He sat upwards in bed and immediately felt a protest in his body, "I've got to stop sparring with Seven." He commanded himself before standing and heading to the door.

The hallway was quiet and he doubted that anyone other than himself, or One and Two, were awake. Yet he noticed the light coming from the end of the hall and knew whose room it was coming from. He headed down through the hall as his weight caused the wood to occasionally creak. Something felt forewarning about the entire event and he approached the curtain before looking in. "Six?" The room was completely alit and Six was beside the bed, blanket still clutched around him, scribbling at a piece of paper before him. "What're you doing?"

The Guard asked as he strode in and the Artist looked over with a dazed look, "I'm… I'm drawing. I couldn't sleep." The Guard merely came closer before noticing that Six hadn't just been drawing. Part of Six's blanket had been cut away and was laying on the ground by the wall beside a needle, a tangle of thread, and a pair of small scissors. "What's all this? You rip your blanket again?" Six tended to rip things in his sleep, but instead the striped one muttered, "No, no. I was thinking about it and… It would be less strange if I wore a coat instead of a blanket, so I was going to make one, but then I decided to draw."

He wasn't acting right and the Guard noticed he was trembling before kneeling beside him. "Babe, you're starting to-." He cut off when he touched the smaller's back as he noticed the warmth resonating. It wasn't normal and he pulled down the blanket to touch his face. "You're burning up!" He pointed out in disturbance and the striped one responded with, "I am? Maybe it's a fever. I feel cold…" Eight didn't exactly know what to do, but tried to coax the Artist, "You need to get back to sleep. How long have you been in here?" A few seconds as the other thought.

"It doesn't matter. We can't let this get out of hand." He insisted as he stroked over Six's yarn hair. The smaller seemed to immediately relax into the touch and leaned against Eight, but the Guard noted that he was clearly seeking more heat, and tried to assist by hooking his fingers under the blanket and working it downwards. As the smaller caved and allowed his blanket to be removed, Eight noticed the drawing. It was a figure that looked like a Stitchpunk with long claws and large, empty eyes, body dripping with blackness.

Nothing to shock Eight and instead he knew that he would get more answers from Six, "See anything more this time?" Six shrugged, "I don't know when he's coming, but he is, and he's going to do something bad…" He was slurring just a little bit and rambling slightly so Eight decided to just back down. Six needed to sleep now and could talk later. "If anyone comes in here causing trouble I'll handle it. You need to get some sleep." He decided to forget trying to get Six to his feet and merely picked him up like a canvas bag.

Six head rolled around and stared at his half-finished drawing before resting back against Eight. "I have to finish my jacket…" He pointed out and Eight leaned down to grab the bunch, "Here, we'll drop it on someone else." He wasn't even going to pretend like he knew anything about making clothing and much preferred handing it over to Two at some point. Halfway to his room Six felt his mismatched optics slip closed.

"_You're not going anywhere."_

It sounded like it was in his audio receptor and Six awoke with a start. Strangely enough they weren't in the hall any longer. Now he was laying in bed beside Eight and he could hear noises outside the room. This mean the others were waking and that perhaps he had slept for a couple of hours. It was odd, it hadn't even felt like more than a few seconds, but he was ready to get out of bed. His fever felt lessened and even though he was still chilled he decided to take the precious time to finish his coverings. It would be a good investment; he didn't think this fever would ever go away.

As he headed towards the Workshop he heard the sounds of someone else speaking coming through the curtain. "I know you're probably disappointed, but I knew you'd understand the best… Probably. You've been in the same situation and… I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen." It sounded like Nine, but the wording sounding more like None, but then something else came out, "Please don't tell the others. Not now. If they found out they'd- I don't even want to know what they'd do."

Six immediately became interested, his body tensed and suspicion clouded his mind, he was pulsing with dread. He couldn't understand if None was trying to say that he was hiding something or someone. That was when the other voice spoke, "No, None, it's okay." This was Five and his voice sounded to be laced with surprise. "I'm not upset." None continued, "I just- Nine was telling me this morning that you and Three weren't spending time together and I knew I had to say _something. _I… I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have gotten you wrapped in this."

Suddenly Six suspicion dropped once again. They were talking about Three and, frankly, Three and Five's issues weren't nearly as big as whatever was about to overtake the Sanctuary in the near future. So instead he merely tried to slip inside without being noticed. There was None and Five with the Healer resting a hand on None's shoulder, "I'm glad you told me. I was thinking… I don't know what I was thinking. We don't have to-." He cut off, "Six!" He suddenly exclaimed and None looked over in fear.

Six gave a little wave and continued over to the workbench, trying to show little interest so that they would assume he didn't hear anything, which he really hadn't. He laid his things on the workbench and stared at the cloth with questioning. Though None did blurt out, "You didn't hear what we were talking about, did you?" Six answered quickly, "Not really. No. I need to finish my coat." He showed the fabric and Five suddenly stepped in, "I can help." He insisted and patted on None's shoulder quickly.

"I'll tell Three I know later." He pointed out and None insisted, "I'll tell Nine too. Whenever I find the right time." Then he filed out and Five approached to help. Six basically was unable to do much except tell Five what he wanted because the stitching was really a job for one person. It wasn't really much of anything and by the end it looked relatively basic, but mostly because Six wasn't particularly interested in designing something better as he was starting to become chilled again. Five helped him fit it on, "What do you think?"

The looseness wasn't the problem. The problem was the obvious plainness beyond the black stains. After all, it had been his sleeping blanket, and he merely responded with. "It's warm." Then pulled it closer to his body. The Healer smiled and sheepishly admitted, "It might not look like much yet, but we can work on it. Maybe Three and Four had some closures downstairs so you don't have to hold it shut." The Artist smiled a little in reassurance, "No, I like it. Thank you for making it." Five gave a more pleased smiled.

"Just make sure you don't get too warm." Five warned before also noting, "We should have some leftover leather if you want to use some of that." He headed over to a bin beside the workbench and pulled it out before going through it. Inside Six could see scraps of fabric consisting of soft cotton, leftover burlap, and as Five noted earlier some bits of leather as well. Mere strips after something had been cut free, Six doubted he would find that much of a use for them.

At this time Nine appeared in the curtained doorway and greeted Six before looking to Five, "Hey Six. Five, Cat's heading out now, do you need him to look for anything?" Five casually responded without noticing how Six's head flipped over to him in surprise, "Umm… No. I think we have everything we need here." Nine now looked to Six, "How about you, Six? I could ask him to look for ink." Six was absolutely mortified, "Wait- but- Cat's leaving? Are you leaving too?" Nine shook his head, "No. I think I had my fill yesterday so I'm going to go help None and the twins arrange some things."

"I'll come with you!" Five suddenly volunteered a bit loudly and suspiciously. Nine stared at him for a few seconds before responding with, "Great. We could use as many hands as we can get." At this moment Six suddenly broke into a run and nearly hit Nine as he rushed by into the hall, dashing down towards the throne room. The bucket lift was down and Seven was wandering away from it, "He's not down yet, is he?! Cat didn't go, did he?!" Six blurted out, becoming more panicked, and Seven was surprised by the striped one's outburst.

"He just went down the bucket lift. Why?" Six suddenly headed over to the lift and tried to reach for the ropes to start bringing the lift back up. "Is something wrong?" By now the striped one's antics were causing a scene that One, who was on the throne with Twelve in his lap, and Eight who was close beside him both noticed. Six was beginning to breathe harder as he explained, "He can't go out. Not until it's safe." Out of the corner of his optics he noticed that Eight was crossing over towards them and that Nine and Five were now entering the throne room.

Six was beginning to feel a bit claustrophobic as he knew that they wouldn't believe him most likely. His head pounded as Seven suggested, "You weren't upset when I went out yesterday." The Artist sputtered, "You went out yesterday?!" Then began to plead, "Seven, please, go get him! There's something coming, something bad, and it's going to be from out there!" While Eight's hands rested on his shoulders in a somewhat reassuring manner, Nine's voice chimed out, "We're heading downstairs. We'll see if he's still there." Six was thankful, but still felt uncomfortable.

"You're still burning up." Eight pointed out and Six closed his coat a little, "That's why we made the coat instead of the blanket." He pitifully answered and the Guard exhaled in clear bother, "We'll let it slide because you're doing better than earlier. You were way too warm this morning." Six nodded in agreement though did it more to appease Eight than anything. "What's going on?" Seven suddenly quipped with her face marred with concern and questioning. Six looked towards the floor and Eight took this time to speak.

"Six has been having his visions again." He pointed out with the upmost confidence in his voice, "He's been seeing something coming from outside that wants to take over the Sanctuary." The Artist then felt the need to speak, "It's a Beast in Stitchpunks' fabric." He insisted and Seven blinked before One spoke, "A Beast in Stitchpunk fabric?" That's when Seven seemed to get the gest and pointed out, "You mean like a wolf in sheep's clothing, but with a Beast and with Stitchpunk fabric." She glanced to One, "Have you heard of the term."

"Of course I have." One pointed out in offense. Apparently the tone wasn't liked by Twelve as she began to suddenly make fussy noises. He began to rock her a bit and quieted his voice, "It would mean something that looks like a Stitchpunk but inside is something much worse. Naturally there are already a few of those amongst us." Eight felt the need to point out, "At first I thought he meant Cat." One grew suspicious with his eyes narrowing, "Yes, Cat would be the newest among us and is clearly not as appearance suggests."

"Hold on." Seven suddenly defended, "Six is trying to stop Cat from leaving. If Cat was whatever Six saw then why would Six be afraid to let him go out?" Maybe Eight just wanted to mess with her because he suddenly added, "Because then he'd end up coming back in?" At this point Six suddenly felt the need to speak, "It's _not _Cat. It's someone else, something crazed and dripping black, and it will overtake us if we don't do something!" He felt as though they weren't paying attention to him and it somewhat frustrated him.

His head was pounding even more as he tried to figure out what to say to convince them. "We'll keep our guard up, Six." Seven reassured him sympathetic, "I'll go down and watch the entrance." She started off and yet Six didn't feel any safer. He exhaled and looked upwards at Eight, "I'm… I'm not well. I'm going to go draw some." He insisted and Eight seemed concerned, "You sure?" The Artist nodded quickly and started off, to which Eight let him go, but Six was feeling much stranger than ever.

Anger, frustration, Six wasn't too unfamiliar to it but right now it was the oddest feeling that only somewhat aligned with the two. He wasn't fully sure what was going on except the growing determination, _"They're not going to do anything." _He reminded him, _"They let Nine become leader with little effort, and then he didn't even want to stay leader, so if someone new comes they'll hand it over with little thought. One's distracted with the baby and he won't even notice until it happens!" _His body shivered in dread, or perhaps in fevered chills, but he clutched his jacket closer as he passed the Workshop.

Then his body suddenly came to a halt as he remembered the leather straps. He suddenly changed his path and headed inside the workshop. There was no point in drawing when he had actual work he could do and he had an idea of what he wanted to do with that leather.

* * *

Seven knew that she was too late when she came upon the entrance to the Library and couldn't find Cat nor the two who said they were to look for him. Most likely they missed him and this left Seven without promising news to give to Six. After a few minutes she realized that it would be a while before he was due to return and decided to go visit the twins and others. It was a brief stroll through the Library which she admired quickly. Even with a large hole in the roof it still stayed dim and quiet inside the walls. Yet it was a little melancholy.

Maybe if Seven would admit it, she was starting to feel a bit lonely. There was something that she was missing and only noticed it recently. Before it was easy to just run on her own, exploring the Emptiness and running free, but recently she was starting to feel this insuppressible need. She used to think it was sated by running and exploring the outside world, which the rush did ease the symptoms somewhat but not cure the want. It was something she couldn't explain but for the first time in her life she felt alone and singled out.

Of course, Seven went about this logically and used other Stitchpunks to fill the need, and it worked for the most part. As she entered the twins' study she was somewhat relieved to see everyone there, except Cat of course, and approached them. For some odd reason None suddenly blurted out, "Oh, look, it's Seven!" In a very obvious way. She tried to keep from showing any obvious sign of noticing it as she continued over. Five waved and Nine was looking at None oddly, but the twins rushed to greet her, nearly dragging her over to the book to show what they had done.

A few more pages of newspaper clippings had been added, but by now they were somewhat distressed by the fact that they were nearing the end of their book, pointing it out. "We'll find another one." Seven insisted, "Maybe there's one in the back." The reassurance seemed to help and she rested a hand on Four's shoulder. The younger seemed to flinch oddly like something was wrong, but didn't pull away. "Is something wrong?" She asked, but the twin frantically shook her head silently. Seven wasn't sure, but didn't press.

It wasn't too long later that she decided to dismiss herself as everyone seemed to be acting a bit too strange. The Warrior headed back towards the front of the Library. She expected to be sitting there for an hour or so, but really didn't expect she would wait that long. Eventually she would probably either go off to find something to do or Cat would return, though she doubted on the latter in this case. Or, she did, until she noticed something as she headed into the Library entrance. Something was on the floor and as she approached she noticed a trail of blackness.

She immediately remembered what Six had said earlier and became alert as she studied the liquid. It was clearly oil and she kneeled down before touching it. It was still slightly warm and she looked upwards enough to follow the trail. "Six was right…" She muttered to herself before standing and lowering her helmet. If Six was so certain then Seven needed to stay on guard. She began to cross the floor steadily, keeping her footsteps quiet, and hurrying over to where the trail led. It dipped around and over books, down along the floor, and finally going behind one of the shelves.

She followed and as she circled the books she was abruptly halted. There was Cat leaning against the wooden frame. Slumped between it and the floor and pressing a clawed hand against his abdomen where black liquid was leaking out underneath. Seven stared at the sight in shock, "Cat?" The male looked at her in surprise before forcing a smirk to cover his pain, "Nothing gets past you, does it, Dove?" She lifted her helmet and approached before somewhat swatting away his head, "Let me see it." As his hand moved she saw the slice in the fabric and the oil leaking out.

"Creator, Cat, what happened?!" She asked with a soft gasp and he admitted, "A Winged Beast clipped me." He seemed somewhat ashamed as he tried to clearly cover it while she tried to help him to his feet. As he started to stand he teetered a bit and released a small growl of pain. "Easy," She coaxed, "Cat, why does this keep happening? Why are you so determined at getting yourself hurt?" The male soft of shrugged, "What can I say? I'm a walking target. Can't remember the last time something didn't want my head, eh?"

Part of her wanted to hit him and roll her optics, but most of her was very aware of the way that he was breathing heavily and knew he was in pain as she led him into the bucket lift. Soon she was leading him into the empty Workshop and leading him to the medical cot that he dropped onto pitifully, causing the oil to spill once again. "I'll go get Two." Seven spoke calmly as she rested her spear against the wall and tried to adjust the sheets to be beneath him, "Don't move or you'll make it worse." The Beast turned Stitchpunk silently agreed.

"It's going to be fine. You've been injured worse." He got a little bit of a smile, "Aww, Dove." He rested his hands on his chest carefully, making sure not to accidently rip his fabric further, "Are you worried about your little Cat?" She responded by lightly hitting his hands, more like tapping, to get them to move and not injure him further. To which he quietly responded, "Obviously not enough." Now she actually got a bit of a smile and reach upwards to work off his helmet. She seldom removed hers just out of habit, he didn't remove his out of disassociation.

Becoming one of them was difficult so the bone was a bit of familiarity and he clearly became distressed when it was removed. She placed it on the workbench, "I'll be right back. Just get some rest." With that she started out and only stopped to pause at the entranceway. For a few seconds her mind raced to figure out where Two was before starting off. Or perhaps she didn't want to admit it, but she was afraid to leave Cat.

* * *

**Mable: I had to rush to get this posted before Midnight, but it worked!... Though I don't know if it's completely error free at the moment. Either way, though, I had a really long day and am ready to get this posted! Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, next one will be posted tomorrow.**


	9. Chapter 9: The Brewing Trouble

**Mable: Here is chapter nine as scheduled! Let's hope I can keep this pace for the rest of the story. Anyway, I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

* * *

_**Fabric Runs Shallow**_

_Chapter Nine: The Brewing Trouble_

There was something so calming about walking in on such a tender scene. One could barely remember what was so important to come into the nursery to find Two, but was pleased to see that the Inventor was again with his children. It made One ponder if he was spending enough time with them. At least Two was staying relaxed as he had given birth only some time before. Both Twelve and Twenty-One were nestled in Two's lap as he settled into the makeshift rocking chair that had been placed into the corner. It barely moved, but it kept the two tucked in warmly.

The younger sister was asleep, again, and nursing on Two's vest. Twenty-One was wide awake and seemed to be begging for attention, watching his Papa with slightly widened slated optics. Two's voice continued to lull his story, "But once again he decided to not help the others and teased the large Owl mercilessly, playing his games and finding it quite fun, but this time he finally stirred the owl enough that it lifted him in its claw and carried him right into the large tree." He took a deeper tone to sound more forewarning, and Twenty-One listened in wonder.

"He took him inside his home and planned to eat him up." Two explained, "and it was nearly the end of the poor Squirrel, but he tussled and pulled, and with a snap his tail broke it two." One sputtered a bit, "Good lord, Two, what are you telling them?" Two looked to him in surprise before smiling in amusement, "It's just a fairy tale, One. It's teaching them why they shouldn't flirt with danger." Then he looked back to his child, "The Squirrel got away in the end, but learned his mistake. Though after that he threw quite a tantrum when anyone would mention a riddle."

When he gave a sweet smile the Stitchpup would return it. Apparently One wasn't completely devoid of feelings as he felt a glowing compassion as he watched this. He smothered the sudden wish to dash over and take the smaller male in his arms. Unfortunately there was the nagging dread that this could accidently result in a third child, but looking at what they had created part of him was beginning to consider a third child. Unfortunately the moment couldn't last as brisk footsteps met his audio receptors.

Seven appeared in the doorway looking flustered. "Cat got back and he's managed to get himself injured again. This time by a Winged Beast." One immediately became concerned, but not exactly by Cat's condition, "Is the Winged Beast out there still?" She paused before shaking her head, "I don't think so. I'll ask, but I didn't hear or see anything." Two was focused and asked, "How is he? Is he conscious?" She nodded and she beckoned One over to take the children. One did, lifting Twenty-One as Two stood with Twelve. "I'll have a look at him."

She was shocked how quickly he took out of the room, only stopping for a few seconds to put the baby in the bassinette before exiting and hurrying towards the Workshop, outrunning One by far. He entered the Workshop where Cat was still lying across the cot. Oddly enough he was wearing his helmet again and Seven found herself walking straight back over to ease it off again. Just like before, Cat was disturbed and muttered to himself as it was removed about how the wound was on his chest and not his head.

Two approached his bedside and looked at the incision, "Let's see… My, it got you deep, didn't it?" Cat released what sounded like an attempt at a chuckle and shivered a little as his body protested the action. "It's nothing we can't handle. Does this hurt?" He touched around the wound and Cat again hissed in discomfort, "I can feel it when you poke at it." He somewhat scolded and Two pulled back, "Then let's just use the magnet. There's no reason to make you stay awake through this."

As he headed towards the Workbench he called back to Seven, "Would you mind going to get Five, Seven? I'll need his assistance. I'm a bit rusty and could use his guidance." She went to walk out when Cat stopped her and gestured her to come over, to which she did. He gestured for her to lean down, which she did, and he whispered into her audio receptor, "Don't leave me with someone who's 'rusty'." He practically begged and she had the urge to bring her palm into her forehead.

"It's called modesty, Cat. You could use some." She teased, but she could tell he was uneasy and reached out to pet his head, almost like she used to when he was actually a Beast, "Two and Five have worked on us plenty of times and have done surgeries much more complex than this." He released a low purr from the touch and struggled to turn onto his side, instinctively wanting to curl his body beside hers. She gently stopped him and continued to caress his head in a caring manner. She then pulled back, "Let me go get Five and Two will put you under." He watched her leave with a melancholy look.

If she didn't know better, she would actually believe that he was affectively scared. It almost made her feel guilty for leaving, but she knew that she needed to get Five so that the surgery could commence affectively. She hurried back to the twins' study room where she was able to find Five quickly and inform him of the situation. Like Two, he was quick to hurry back to the Workshop to help, but Seven found herself lagging back. Apparently someone else noticed as Nine took the time to lag back as well.

"Are you okay?" He asked and honestly the question startled her; she couldn't believe her distress was that apparent. "I… Of course. The Beast didn't attack me or anything." He gave a friendly look, "I know, you just look upset is all. He didn't sound like he was in that distressing of a state." She agreed, but found her optics unable to stay on Nine, it just felt uncomfortable. Worse still, she had left her spear upstairs foolishly and neither had a weapon to defend herself with nor to distract herself with.

"He's not. I'm more worried about the Winged Beast. The sudden appearance could mean they're either newly created or newly creating." Nine shrugged slightly before nodding, "Let's just hope that it's migration and not either of the others." His voice was labored with sudden dread, but changed quickly, "So… How's Cat doing as a Stitchpunk? I'm asking on Child's behalf. He's too afraid to ask in case Cat has something he wants him to fix." He pointed out before adding in, "But really, he cares, he just doesn't know how to show it. How's he been doing in his new fabric?"

She eased a bit, glad that the conversation was now aimed solely at Cat and not her, and explained. "He's adjusting well. I think these incidents would be happening regardless if he was Beast or Stitchpunk." They made it to the bucket lift only to find it already raised. They were left waiting and Nine decided to point out the same thing that numerous others had, "He's going to be fine." Seven exhaled, "Yes, I know, I just can't help-." She cut herself off abruptly, "Can't help but expect that something will go wrong. It tends to."

Now she felt like she was rambling, but it was better than ending it where it was, and yet Nine wasn't judgmental. Mostly because he didn't find anything strange with the concern and the uncomfortable atmosphere was located only on Seven's shoulders. "I'm not going to say it won't. There's a good chance that we'll all get injured again in the future. At least we're well prepared." She eased quite a bit and found the comment surprisingly funny. It was true; there was no telling what the future would bring. Though she hoped that the others' prediction of Cat was correct. In fact maybe she was hoping a bit too hard.

* * *

Eight rested against the wall tiredly. He didn't want to do what he was about to do. Telling Six about what happened to Cat was like opening Pandora's Box. Sleeping would become virtually non-existent, he'd be drawing and sketching non-stop, and Six would deteriorate even further. Yet at the same time he couldn't keep this from the Artist and headed inside. "Six?" The Artist was scribbling furiously at a piece of paper with a frustrated look. "Six?" Eight spoke and the striped one looked over before smiling.

That calm and energetic smile was out of place and unsettling. "Cat got back." He pointed out and Six tilted his head, "Isn't that a good thing? You sound upset." Yet Eight answered with, "Are you still running a fever?" The smaller continued to look at Eight nearly delusional, "I don't think so. I'm not cold anymore, my jacket helps." He stood and showed his jacket that now had leather straps on it, "It's a strait jacket." The Guard stared at it and hoped that it wasn't as half hazard as he thought, or perhaps Six was acting just as troublesome as Eight thought.

"It looks… So Cat came back injured." The Artist blinked in surprise and suddenly he was overcome with a lucidity that he had been lacking before. Eight continued explaining, "Cat came back dripping oil. You sure that he's not the one?" Six looked down at his drawing, stared at it, and shook his head. "No… No, no. It's not Cat. It's… I don't know." He murmured softly and Eight didn't know whether to be glad or not that the weird behavior had passed. Yet when Six covered his face pathetically the larger approached, "Come on, Six, you were right about Cat needing to stay back."

Suddenly Six stood abruptly and started towards the door, "I have to see him. I have to check him, make sure he's okay, hear what he's seen." Then he suddenly stopped before looking to Eight, giving him that smile again, "I love you, Eight." Eight didn't know how he managed to make such a kindly comment sound so disturbing, but he did and the Guard found his response sounding somewhat unsure as he blankly stared at his mate who then scurried out of the room. _"If his fever gets anymore out of control I'm just going to throw him in the pool."_

* * *

Seven couldn't remember the last time she spent this long in the Workshop without being under the knife. She stayed sitting on the extra cot watching as Five sewed the incision shut once again. Two had moved to cleaning oil off of everything, mostly triggered by his nesting, and yet Seven still felt as though the injury had just occurred. It was especially worrying since Two and Five spent quite a while silently sorting through his inner metals. Still just as nervous and unsure about whether or not Cat would be fine even though she knew, logically, he would be absolutely fine.

Five tied a knot in the thread and clipped it low so that it would barely be noticeable, "Alright, he's all finished." He placed the needle and remaining thread to the side, "Should we move him to his room, or leave him here?" Two paused, rubbing his fingers together as he pondered, then answered, "I don't think it will be that difficult. Alright, let's move him." He crossed to the opposite side and put Cat's arm over his shoulder, "I don't think that it'll damage anything. In fact, he might feel better being in his own bed."

They guided Cat's limp body off of the workbench, resting on their shoulders as they carried him out of the room. Yet part of the way Two started to show clear signs of growing trouble. His legs shook and he was beginning to pant a bit in weariness. Five looked to his mentor in concern, "Two?" The Inventor waved it off with the hand that was grasping Cat's arm and merely turned to Seven, "May I speak to you after we finish up?" The Warrior nodded and was somewhat unsure of why the Inventor sounded so secretive.

The two started back towards Seven's room, her opening the curtain for them, and then them nearly walking straight into Six in the hallway. "Cat?" He immediately asked as he looked down at the beast turned Stitchpunk. Seven spoke, "He's still unconscious, Six." The Artist was on the verge of panicking, "Did he- What did he see? Did he see it out there? Did it attack him?" His hands twitched and he grabbed his jacket front worriedly. The Warrior explained while Two and Five continued to lead Cat away. "It was just a Winged Beast, Six. He's fine, he's just still under magnet."

Six wasn't complete relieved, but seemed a little eased, and went to tie his jacket tighter. "Okay…" She reached out to rub him on the shoulder reassuringly before heading after the three. "Here we go." Five coaxed as he and Two approached Cat's bed. Seven stopped them, "You can just use mine. His isn't... Just use mine." Five glanced back while Two eagerly carried Cat ahead, wanting to put him down. They nearly dropped the male onto the bed where he let out a low groan of awakening.

Two straightened himself and massaged his lower back, "I may have overestimated my recovery." He murmured and limped to Five who put an arm around him worriedly, "Maybe you should get some rest." He waved it off, "I will, Five, I certainly will." Smiled reassuringly and then glancing towards Seven before the two started a brief conversation with each other that ended when Two exited the room and headed off with Five. Though he didn't exactly tell Five what he said at the moment and instead accepted the Healer leading him to his room.

He started to lead the shorter out as the Warrior crossed over to Cat's bedside and reached down to pet his head again. She was surprised how motherly she felt even though this was no longer her beast pet. Now this was simply Cat, a male Stitchpunk, and yet she still felt that protectiveness towards him. As a low purr again resonated through his chest she found herself smiling and continuing to pet him. Just enjoying a surprisingly calm moment and waiting for him to awaken.

A group comprised of One, Nine, Child, and Julius was in the throne room speaking about the circumstances at hand. "The last thing we want is to bring it back here." Nine insisted, "All I'm saying is that we should try to keep a watch out." One scoffed a bit before pointing out, "You just want to go out there- What's wrong with you?" It took a second for Two and Five to realize that One was aiming this question at them. Two tried his best to pass it off, "Me? Nothing. Why would there be something wrong?" He passed off the concern in a way that made him even more suspicious in One's mind.

As he eyed his mate, Nine, Child, and Julius continued speaking. Six also slipped into the throne room and listened in on them. "He has a point." Child spoke to Julius to which Nine was relieved, "I'm glad someone agrees." Child quickly retorted, "I meant One. You just want out to fix your Lightstaff." Nine pointedly ignored this and looked to Julius, "I'm not saying to engage it, but we need to know where it is or we might get overtaken by it later." Julius nodded, "That could be risky… But we are in desperate need of supplies and to have an idea of where it's nesting would be a good thing."

Child looked between both of them before murmuring, "Father has a point, but I have had enough of airborne machines for the moment." Nine insisted, "Again, I don't plan to fight it, and I'll go alone if I have to. I'll need Cat to tell me where he went and I'll be ready." Julius suddenly interrupted, "That's out of the question, Nine. I will accompany you." While the three still discussed their next plans and One started to cross back over while Two and Five headed into the other hall to get Two to rest. Six slipped back into the hall and started to head down towards his bedroom.

He was feeling the same frantic feeling once again as he entered his room. "They're leaving, they're going out, and they're going to bring _it _back with them!" He rambled quietly to himself, "Are they even listening? It… It's going to come in and take everything away and they won't do anything! They'll just let it inside!" He looked at the disturbing drawing hanging on the wall of the Beast in Stitchpunk fabric and it felt as though it was staring back. Part of him wondered if it knew about him too. It disturbed him and he clutched his yarn pitifully, "They can't go out there…"

He stared at the floor for a few seconds before speaking again, "They… They _aren't _going out there.

* * *

Seven's morning started when the being beside her rolled over and groaned. It was Cat clearly who was feeling the injury fully and starting to awaken for the first time. He swore to himself tiredly before sitting up in bed to which Seven spoke, "Don't move too much." The male rubbed over his head and noted his missing helmet again, "Where's my head?" Seven actually felt amused and responded quickly, "I'm not sure. If only it was connected to you somehow." He didn't seem to be alert enough to catch the satire as Seven climbed out of bed.

"Is it supposed to hurt this bad?" Cat asked wearily before coughing a bit and collapsing back on the bed. She paused briefly and just looked back to watch him. It was almost surprising at how quiet he was being, and couldn't help but be slightly sympathetic when he pulled the pillow over his head and went limp once again. She moved to get the helmet placed on her head when a dull knock came at the door. Seven answered it and was quite surprised to see Nine who she guessed had been waiting for them to wake.

"Morning." She greeted and let him by to which he returned the greeting and headed over to the bed nearby, "Morning Seven. Morning Cat." He looked at the pillow and limp arm hanging over the bed and asked, "Feeling better?" The male's hand flexed in response, but nothing more. "Listen, we need to know where you saw that Winged Beast. We're going out to track it." Seven raised a brow, "We're?" Nine explained, "Child agreed to come. You can come too if you'd like."

Seven smiled a little, somewhat considering the idea, "I may do that. I'm heading out anyway. How did you manage to convince him?" Nine answered with a slightly crooked smile and a discreet, "I have my ways." They were interrupted by Cat turning over and pushing the pillow up slightly so he could talk. "There's an old grocer up North about a half a mile. It ambushed me the second I went inside so it's nesting in there. Watch yourself." Nine nodded and offered, "You can come too." Seven almost said something, but Cat responded coyly, "Yeah, I rather throw myself into a ravine. You're on your own."

Seven wasn't amused and merely dropped the blankets over him, "You just get some rest. We'll be fine on our own." She then led Nine out into the hall where they started towards the throne room where Child was already waiting. One and None were also awake as they waited at the bucket lift to let the others go. "Now don't go engaging it." One reminded as they entered the lift, "and for all of our sake, don't bring it back here." He instructed and Nine nodded almost loyally, "We won't. We'll be back soon enough."

They boarded the lift and lowered into the Library before heading towards the exit. Along the way Seven and Nine stuck a conversation on how they planned to attack the Winged Beast and because of such didn't notice a fourth Stitchpunk until he appeared before them. "Six?" Nine asked in surprise as the striped one appeared and knew something was clearly wrong. The Artist was stumbling and had a familiar wild look in his optics, the one he got when he didn't sleep. "Nine." Six repeated before looking and the others and speaking with concern, "Nine, I don't think you should go out. I have a bad feeling." Nine was sympathetic, "We won't go far, but we really need-."

"No, you don't, you don't need to that bad. I'm begging you." Six nearly begged them. "Six, you said that it would come here." Seven insisted, "If we go out we might be able to stop it." Six stared with wide, heartbroken optics, and Child circled him, "I'll make sure of it. Trust me, the last thing I want is to go back out into that for no reason." He continued along and Nine patted Six's shoulder reassuringly. He and Seven followed after the male and headed towards the exit. Six covered his eyes and shook his head in horror. "I hope he's okay." Seven murmured and Nine exhaled in a slightly guilty way, "Yeah… Yeah he will be."

They continued to the exit and prepared to face the worst. The Winged Beast was waiting.

Then a stack of books tipped over in front of them, stopping their tracks. Child caught Nine before it happened and his optics flew to the other side of the stack. Yet there was nothing there at all. Seven was the first to look back at Six who was standing there. His face was blank and his hands were clenched, but the dilated optics proved that he had done it with his telekinesis. "Six?" She asked and his optics stared dead ahead before he spoke, "You can't go out there."

His face suddenly contorted into an actual look of frustration yet again, his pen tipped fingers clenching, and suddenly she realized that something was terribly wrong. Six twitched in protest as more books fell in front of their path.

"You're not going _anywhere._"

* * *

**Mable: With that I cut the chapter off, but I'm pretty sure we can see what's coming; nothing good. The next update will be tomorrow as usual. I hope everyone enjoyed!**


	10. Chapter 10: The Desperate Plans

**Mable: Here's the next chapter and we're finally in the double digits. I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

* * *

_**Fabric Runs Shallow**_

_Chapter Ten: The Desperate Plans_

They knew Six was unhinged and when he was in this state that there were risks, but never once did he ever pose an actual threat. So they were a bit unsure how to react. Finally Nine spoke, "Six-." At this Six spoke, "We're going back upstairs. To where it's safe." The zippered male nearly spoke again before Child suddenly halted him with a hand on the back. Their optics locked for a second as Child communicated silently with Nine, a warning look on his face. Perhaps Seven and Nine knew Six well enough to trust him, but while Child did know Six well he also was seeing the warning signs.

Nine took his feeling and took charge as he looked back to Six, "Alright, Six, we'll go back into the Sanctuary with you." Six slowly started to ease and Seven looked a bit surprised, "Going back? Nine, are you sure? We… We need to go find that Beast." She whispered once Six started to turn towards the bucket lift, face furrowed and determined. Nine answered simply, "Sort of. Maybe he'll change his mind later, but something's wrong with him now. If we try to leave now we might make it worse." While Seven was skeptic and clearly didn't want to, she obeyed, and they followed Six to the lift.

He ushered them in before shutting the bucket lift behind them. They headed upwards to the Sanctuary where Six exited quickly, still fidgeting and acting oddly, and Nine spoke again, "Alright, Six, we're not going to go. Better?" Six glanced back at him with a suspicious look, "No. Not yet." He glanced to the ropes on the lift with a glinting glare, "He can still get in here. I'm done yet." Now it was time for Nine to try and convince Six elsewise, "Six, what are you going to do to the bucket lift?" He asked in exasperation and Six responded, "I don't know yet…"

Nine looked back to Seven and Child, the latter just moving off of the lift and the former actually speaking. "You can't do this Six. I know you're scared, but be reasonable." Six was becoming more frustrated every second, "No, I _can _do it. If I don't do it we're in danger." He pointed to the lift and grew louder, not noticing as the others started to come in, "The Beast is going to just walk in! I saw it, I know, and I don't care if you all think I'm insane- don't shake your head like that, I see it in your optics! You've never listened to me, but you will now, no matter what!"

He noticed Eight approaching out of the corner of his optics and that Two and Five were watching as well in concern. He stood strong, he couldn't let Eight lead him away, he couldn't let Eight trick him into submission. He hit the release on the lift with a flex of his mind and let the lift drop to the ground far below. Yet he knew they would be able to pull it back up and knew that he would just have to make sure they didn't. Turning quickly, Six started across the throne room. He knew Nine, Seven, and Child weren't afraid of him and would rebel at some point, he knew he couldn't let this happen.

It was coming today, Six knew. The monstrous Stitchpunk that was preparing to overtake everything and Six saw the outcome. He was going to be killed, it was going to wrap its black covered claws around his neck and take his life, and he saw a future without himself in it. He couldn't stand the thought of being killed by this thing. He had already saw his life flicker away before and he didn't want to see that again. "I'm not waking up in a trench again. Not ever again." He muttered to himself before passing by Eight, finding himself automatically forcing out a, "Hello."

Eight looked very confused and looked to the three for answers. Seven explained the situation, "Six was afraid and wanted us to come back." Nine looked to her before adding in, "He didn't just want us to come back. He started using the books to block our path in a threatening way." Eight raised a brow; clearly not willing to put Six and threatening in the same thought. "So he literally threw the book at you?" Nobody was in any mood to take Eight's comment with amusement, Seven even giving him a light glare.

Child headed over to tell Two and Five what was going on as well. It was when Eight decided to confront Six himself. He sort of thought maybe they were overreacting and approached his mate who was now perched on the empty throne. "Six," He started, "they're back up here and they're not going anywhere quick. Come on, let's go draw or something, or get some sleep." The Artist smiled politely at him, "Maybe later, but I can't now. If I leave then they'll leave. So I'm going to stay here on the throne." Then he added in, "Until it's safe I'm going to have to keep watch, so it's going to be my throne."

Eight stared at the smaller for a few seconds before Nine started to cross back over having hearing the talking, "This is getting a little out of hand, Six. We're not going out unless we have to and this Beast is a problem, it already attacked Cat, couldn't that be what you saw?" Six was insistent, "No. I know what it was. It's coming soon. Nobody can go out or it'll get in." Nine huffed a bit frustrated, "Maybe if one of us went out then it would show you that it's safe." It wasn't meant to be threatening, but he noticed the mismatched optics widen as though in fear.

Then the striped one suddenly spoke, "Just keep in mind that I moved about, I don't know, ten books to stop you from leaving." Six reminded before continuing, "How much weight would that be? It doesn't matter." He added in with a slightly more grim tone, "I know it weighs more than you do." Now Nine actually felt a tinge of fear. Six was right and completely serious. This was when Child stepped in, subtly moving in front of his mate in a protective manner. "There is no need for that." He insisted before leading Nine back towards the hall.

Seven, Five, and Two meanwhile were in absolutely mortification at the entire scene. Even Eight was alarmed at Six's threatening comment. Seven suddenly took into the hall after the two while Two himself stepped forward. Six watched him carefully and the short male raised his hands in defense, "Don't worry, stay in the throne all you like, I don't mind. I was just making sure you were feeling alright." He changed his wording, "That was a troubling scene. Anyone would be shaken."

The Artist was quick, "Of course. I'm fine. Completely fine." He had an unsteady smile stretch across his face and Eight suddenly announced, "They're acting weird. I'll be back in a bit." Then took after the others in the hall, hoping that Six bought his attempt at an excuse to leave. Nine, Child, and Seven had retreated into the latter's room where Cat was still lying across the bed. "Back so soon?" He stated to which Child scoffed, "Apparently not soon enough. Leave the Sanctuary for two seconds and it falls into ruins." He announced as he sat down on Cat's own bed.

"Or Six goes into ruins." Seven pointed out, "I can't believe this. I've never seen him act like this before. He's had moments after the nightmares, but nothing like this." Cat looked confused, "What'd he do, go on some murder spree out there? It has been pretty quiet." Again, Child made a huffing scoff noise, "We're only a few seconds away from that. He threatened Nine." The statement was bluntly and coldly released, but followed by was of unsureness, "Or it sounded like he was. I can't really tell with Six."

"It was." Nine agreed breathily, running a hand over the top of his head, "Six threatened me. I can't believe it. Did I come off too hard or something?" The others' looks varied in response. Seven's as sympathetic, Cat's as confused, and Child's as disturbed. He reached out and stroked Nine's thigh and try to lure him to sit down. Nine insistently stood, feeling too uncomfortable to sit down. Seven now called to attention, "Six is completely out of control and this is not just because of a nightmare. I think he was ill a few days ago, but I can't tell if it's that or if perhaps he was right about this creature and it's influencing him."

That's when another voice spoke, "You even sure that thing exists?" She spun around and was somewhat taken aback by Eight's appearance and comment. "You… You don't think it exists?" Eight paused before responding, "I don't know… but this wouldn't be the first time he thinks something's coming and it's not. I'm not going to say that he doesn't get it wrong sometimes, because he does, and when he does he's even more paranoid because he thinks it's still going to." Then he crossed his arms, "But this is out of the norm for even Six."

The others agreed and Nine finally collapsed to sit down beside Child, who slid behind him and held him close, and took charge, "So what should we do? Because I'm out of options." Seven paced a little before insisting, "We need to go find the Winged Beast no matter what it takes, even if Six doesn't want us to." Even Eight gave a somewhat exasperated look, "Six has lost his mind and you want to go beat up on a Winged Beast?" He asked simply enough and Seven exhaled, "Perhaps if Six is shown that it's safe he'll stop acting like this."

Most of the others didn't seem to agree and now Cat spoke, "You could just stay and keep my company while Six loses it." He suggested with a small smirk and she suddenly looked distressed before fixing her helmet. "We need to figure something out. Excuse me." With that she suddenly turned and headed to the doorway before entering the hall. Nine stared after her and knew something was wrong, so he began to stand, which of course was labored by Child's vice like grip. From his amused look he was even getting a kick out of weighing Nine down.

He finally released him once Nine himself actually submitted to a bit of a playful smile, it was the least he could do for finding some sort of enjoyment out of this bleak situation, and headed to the door before peering out. His smile dropped quickly as he noticed Seven's distressed look. She was rubbing her face with optics closed tight and had a vice grip on her spear. "Seven?" He asked quietly, "Seven, what's going on?" The Warrior looked at him with fear and sadness etched across her face, "Nine… There's a reason I was going with you to find the Winged Beast."

He was growing more concerned and she faced him, "I wasn't planning to just track it, Nine, I was going to kill it." Nine made a quick assumption, "Because it hurt Cat? Seven, it probably doesn't know what it did." Halfway through she started to shake her head, "No, Nine, it's nothing like that." She looked upward, stared, and then submitted, "Nine… Cat's not better. He looks fixed, the others think he's fixed, but he's not." She clutched her face wearily, "After Two and Five brought him here he explained it to me."

_The Inventor's smile diminished once Five left and he turned to the Warrior sadly. "Seven, I didn't let Five know, nor Cat, but he's not out of the woods yet." He continued to explain as she listened silently._

"He told me that the part that circulates the oil through his body is damaged. Severely damaged. It needs to be replaced…. But it's not that simple. It's never that simple."

"_Where can I find it?" Seven insisted with determination to which Two rested a hand on her shoulder to calm her down, "That's the difficult part and that's why I haven't let this situation get out to the others. Cat isn't fully a Stitchpunk, as you know, and unfortunately this part is related to being a Machine… Which means that only a Machine would have one. Of course, it would need to be a freshly deceased Machine, and it couldn't be…"_

"The Winged Beast was the obvious solution." Seven explained, "I planned to head out today and he was going to tell Child; that's why I thought he decided to go with you." Nine sputtered, "He knew? Wait, then why did I-." He stopped with an exhale and the Warrior shook her head, "I don't know. I thought he told you and you were just keeping quiet." The zippered male shrugged, "No. Child never lies, so instead he leaves out the most important details." Then he grew more serious, "But this means… This is more than just tracking a Beast anymore. Now Cat is in danger."

"That's right." Seven insisted before Nine had a sudden flair of inspiration, "Wait a minute. Maybe we don't have to fight the Winged beast." He suggested and she paid attention as he explained, "When Child and I were out we destroyed a Beast, a Mosquito Beast, would it have the part?" Seven was unsure, but clearly looked hopeful, "We could try if it's not too far." Nine nodded and touched her shoulder reassuringly before entering the bedroom once again. "Alright, change of plans." He announced, "We need to go after the Winged Beast and to do that we need to get past Six. Any ideas?"

There was a small pause before Eight exhaled, "Yeah… I can distract him if you have a decent idea of what you'll do." Nine nodded, "I know what I have to do. I'm going along with the thought that if we show Six we can be safe even if we leave he might realize that this isn't the way for us to stay safe." He paused before speaking, "Alright. Eight will distract Six and I'll get Five to come with us to get the part." He immediately shut his mouth tightly as he realized that slip. Cat chimed in, "What part?"

Of course it had to be the injured one who Nine noticed wasn't looking in great condition. "For… For my Lightstaff." Now Child spoke, scoffing lightly, "My God, Nine, you are obsessed with that thing. I have half a mind to be jealous." The zippered one gave a tired look, "I wouldn't put it past you." Then moved closer and lowered his voice, "By the way, thank you for warning me about Cat." Child realized what he meant and before he could speak Nine added, "and thank you for not telling me you were going before I made a fool out of myself trying to convince you." A smirk alit Child's mouth, "You're very welcome."

"Alright." Seven announced, "Let's go. Cat, we'll be back shortly. If you need anything then Two's in the other room." Cat laid back down, "So is Six, I'm not risking it." She gained a small smile and the curtain opened yet again to reveal None. "Nine?" He asked inside, "What's going on with Six? He just said something weird when One tried to get him off the throne." Nine turned towards his twin eagerly and perked, "Creative differences, mostly. I need your help, though." His twin let the curtain close and Nine was quick to explain as moved beside Child.

He began to wrestle the latter's hood off to which Child immediately fought back, "What are you-?!" Nine was insistent, "I need this for a second." Finally the albino caved, letting it come off but clinging to it with a single hand desperately. "None, take off your hood." Nine dictated and the twin did so before handing it over, to which Nine put it on. "Six knows I'm close with Child and that he'd let me borrow it." He ignored Child's mutter of, "Unwillingly." Before continuing, "So if you were to wear it then he'd assume you were me."

"I get it!" None exclaimed, "Then when you wear my hood you'll look like me, and it'll cover your number." Of course, Nine hadn't actually been thinking of putting on None's hood, but decided to go along with his twin's suggestion. "Yeah, that will work." He then was quick to initiate more, "We're going to sneak out the back, but Six is going to be watching us. Eight's distraction will only do so much. I need you to pretend to be me." None nodded, "I can do that. What should I do?"

"Stand by the bucket lift." Child suddenly spoke from his position nearby. "Six will be overcompensating and when he sees someone near the lift, especially someone who appears to be Nine, he'll keep a constant watch on them. Because of this his attention to detail we'll be even more limited." He then stood, "I'll go with you to make it seem legitimate and meet with the rest of you in the Library. Maybe I can get some rest before I go out into the burning sunlight without any sort of guard from the piercing rays." He pointedly stated to Nine before exiting the room, None in tow.

Seven now spoke, "It's going to see strange if the three of us leave together. Eight, you go first and begin distracting Six, and we'll leave in a few minutes. Alright?" The Guard nodded and tried to suppress any hesitance. He wasn't sure why they needed out so badly, but it was obvious that Six wasn't acting right. He could only hope that Nine's plan would actually work. "Let's get this over with." He exited the room after a few seconds and then Nine, disguised as None, followed.

Seven was the last to go and went back to Cat's side a final time to rest a hand on his clawed one, "You just get some rest." She insisted and he watched tiredly, "You be careful." He added in before asking, "Before you go, is there something I should know?" At first she didn't understand, but eventually she got the message and insisted, "No, Cat, everything's just fine." A few minutes passed before Cat smiled again, "Alright. If you're sure." She had to exit the room before her façade could drop and show her guilt, which was the last thing she wanted.

Meanwhile Child and None headed down the hall, the former speaking, "Now I will stay by your side until they pass and Eight begins to distract. Then I'm going to lean in against your cheek, I'm warning you so that you don't flinch or get the wrong idea. Creator knows your brother tends to." None nodded with the plan, "Seems easy. Should we hold hands?" He offered and the pale male just stared at the offered hand, furrowing his brows and trying to remember the last time he had actually done so with Nine.

"…Maybe not." None murmured before looking into the Workshop as they passed, noticing Two and Five before hurrying in to warn the male. Soon he was informed and exited into the hall before briskly walking towards the throne room, hands clenched in nervousness. Child doubted Six would notice it as being odd. None appeared again and they entered into the throne room. The Artist took the bait; from the throne he was staring at None with a clear focus, watching as he approached the bucket lift area.

For a second Child felt a pang of protectiveness even though it wasn't Nine who was standing alongside him. He couldn't help it and put an arm around the familiar yet unfamiliar frame while staring blankly at Six. Electricity quickly flickered over his optics and he wasn't sure if they went red. Either way, if anything it seemed to only punctuate that this was Nine, even if it wasn't. None sat down beside the ledge casually and rested back against the wall, Child sitting beside him only to see Eight stride by.

If anything, Eight was acting the best, striding to Six's side confidently and leaning against the side of the throne to talk; Child was impressed. Yet at the same time both him and Eight knew that this was their only chance, so they needed to put on a show.

* * *

**Mable: So Six is starting to come unhinged… Yes, 'starting to' as though it wasn't bad enough when Six started wearing a strait jacket. The next chapter will be posted tomorrow; I hope you all enjoyed!**


	11. Chapter 11: The Crazed Confrontation

**Mable: Here we are with chapter eleven, just in the nick of time. I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

* * *

_**Fabric Runs Shallow**_

_Chapter Eleven: The Crazed Confrontation_

Something didn't feel right to Six. Well, not as right as it was a few minutes ago, because when the Stitchpunks started to file back into the throne room he knew something was amiss. They stood too close to the bucket lift for him to feel comfortable. Yet just at this moment Eight reappeared again and he felt an immediate flinch inside his head. He suspected that Eight was going to approach him and didn't feel like the Guard was very agreeable with what had to be done for safety. Yet he looked fine and came to lean against the side of the throne, peering down into Six with a friendly look.

At first Six was suspicious, but only suspected that Eight was seeking out some attention. It actually got through the Artist's insistent need to protect the others and piqued some guilt. "Feeling better, Stripes?" Eight asked and Six was a little confused at his behavior, "Feeling better?" The Guard got a bit of an amused smile, "Your head." He pointed out and reached out to stroke over the other's yarn. Six found himself shivering and pressed his jacket closed tighter to his body, the touch somewhat taking him back through his cloudy mind. "You're still running hot."

Eight muttered out in clear disturbance and Six nodded slowly before hearing footsteps and noticing Seven entering the room with None. They didn't look to be doing anything and, frankly, None wasn't really a threat so Six just let his attention return to Eight and his surprisingly gentle touches. He didn't notice that Seven and Nine were making towards the hall that held One and Two's room, and the other exit. In fact, he didn't even really acknowledge Five passing by next, and when the three entered the hall they knew that they were in the clear.

Five led them to the same exit that Nine had taken earlier, "Two gave me a good idea on what we're looking for." The Healer explained as he led them down, "But we're going to have to be quick. We don't know how long we have." Seven calmed him quickly, "Relax, Five. He's gradually going to get worse, but I think we at least have some time left. He's not even showing any signs yet." Five glanced to Nine in response who looked saddened. Both of them expected that Seven was probably being a bit too optimistic, but nobody was going to detour her.

Seven wasn't usually one to stay in denial, but because her quick pace didn't match her words they guessed that they probably weren't all that sincere. They started to climb down when Child abruptly appeared, "We need to hurry." Nine only exchanged a glance with him before nodding, "Right." He didn't ask, just stripped off None's hood and handed it to Child, thinking he would want it more to protect his albino fabric while Nine himself didn't think he needed the disguise anymore. He started to climb down the rope ladders quickly following Five who led.

At the bottom shelf Five's need to hurry got the best of him as his fumbling hands tangled into the ladder, or at least his right wrist did. He struggled for freedom, but all Nine caught of the Incident was him falling from the ladder and hitting the marble ground, somehow managing to knock over a book that was tilting perilously on its side to block the ladders from view. He looked dazed and Nine caught up with him, "You okay?" The Healer nodded and his friend helped him up, "I'm sorry. Do you think we were heard?" Nine shook his head, "No… Maybe."

Suddenly he became a lot more paranoid as Child and Seven got down to them. He felt the need to hurry and the need to keep hidden once again. He was right to be hesitant though, because above in the Sanctuary Six was catching on, and it wasn't because of the noise. In fact, it was because of one clear thought that slipped past his striped lips, "Where is everyone?" Eight was unsubtly looking over Six again, trying to catch any strange motions and finally finding one, being the odd question. "What?" He asked and Six paused before his voice seemed to grow a tad lighter.

"Can you go get Paint? I can't leave, but I miss her." He innocently stated and Eight seemed to be confused, but agreed, and walked off to find her. The second he left the room Six stood and crossed over to the bucket lift beside the Stitchpunk waiting there, ignoring him and starting to pull the lift upwards. "Six?" The male asked and Six stopped him, "I'm not oblivious." He muttered, mostly to himself, and the male insisted, "Maybe you should stay here. It's safe up here, right?" None was trying his hardest to play Nine well, but he had a feeling that Six already knew, which he did.

He was slowly piecing together how ironic it was that everyone disappeared and that 'Nine' was just sitting here quietly. He tugged at the ropes of the lift and used all his might to slowly reel it in. "No, it's not safe _here _if nobody is willing to stay _here." _None paused and Six glared back at him, "Just leave me alone. I'll handle this myself. I'll bring them back myself. I know they're down there and I know you're not Nine." He sputtered out and None stepped back, "Six… How did you figure it out?"

He asked pitifully and Six had a twitchy smile filled of maliciousness, "I had a feeling, and you just admitted it, so I guess it was right again." He turned to pull the lift up further, head beginning to pound as he started to grow warm. The odd shivering had ceased and he noticed that he wasn't feeling as cold as usual, yet as he half-heartedly tugged at the straps on his jacket they refused to pull free of their tight grip. "Six, wait, let's talk about this." None insisted, "I don't think that sneaking out was the best option, no, but they were afraid to confront you."

Six was growing impatient, "I don't want to hear it. Leave me alone." He insisted as he tried to get the lift up quicker, only to see that it was still stuck near the bottom. The heat was getting to him and None lecture was causing him to lose any area of give. None prodded, "Just listen to me, please, they wouldn't go out unless they had to." The lift wasn't yet high enough that he could drop down, but then None did something that took Six aback. He reached out to grab the other's shoulder, gently, friendly, but suddenly Six felt violated and he push None off.

He hadn't intended to do anything more than a physical shove, yet his mind flexed, and None was shoved back much harder than intended. Actually knocked off of his feet he fell onto his backside, looking towards Six in disbelief. The Artist was in disbelief as well and for a second he felt a tightening in his chest of horror. He knew this was wrong and yet he couldn't stop. He turned back to continue pulling the lift upwards. It was when he started to board that he had another hand grasp ahold of him and he looked back in anger only to realize it was Eight.

Though Eight's mood had turned and now he was clearly frustrated so the Artist could only assume that he had seen what happened with None. Even though None was standing now he Guard clearly took the attack offensively. The Guard had brought Paint who seemed to get frightened as she started to climb down his body. Six calmly pulled back, trying to slip his hand out of the other's grasp, "Eight." He forced a calm tone, "I… I'm just going to look downstairs. That's all." Eight held tighter, "You're getting out of control, Six. I was giving you benefit of a doubt, but you're acting insane."

Six flinched at the choice of word and for a second he actually returned to normal, "Insane?" Eight realized what he said and he found himself stumbling over himself. The anger diminished a little and he released Six's wrist. "You know what I mean." He covered and the striped one stepped back as he turned away, rubbing his head, "Look, Six, I don't know what's going on here. You're-." He cut off when he heard a skidding noise and glanced back to see that Six had hit the release and was now plummeting downwards in the lift. "Dammit Six!"

Nine, Five, Seven, and Child were ambushed by the lift suddenly striking the floor. Nine looked over in surprise, Five and Child silently watched, and Seven found her reflexes kick in as she looked to Nine, "Where's the Beast?" Nine looked back in absolute perplex before Child quipped, "Where the fallen wall is that leads to the Factory." With that she turned to run, sprinting as fast as she could towards the front before Six could appear. She quickly leapt over the array of fallen books and headed out into the courtyard.

She knew that she couldn't stop. They were running out of time and the chances of Six catching her were great. Halfway to the gate and she was interrupted by a black shadow falling over her as something passed from above. She skidded to a halt and looked into the sky only to face the last thing she wanted to see, coming down at her with a piercing cry.

Meanwhile, inside, Six announced himself with a firm command. "Don't… Move…" He was clearly trying to overcome how he was shaken, but he wasn't very commanding when he pushed open the lift door to reveal that he was sprawled on the floor, glaring at them. It took a few seconds before Five spoke, "Are… You okay, Six?" The Artist stood quickly, "I'm fine, just fine, fine enough that I came down here to stop you." He stepped off the lift quickly as the ropes above were being tampered with by most likely Eight.

"Now we're going back upstairs." Six announced in frustration to the three, "I don't care- Wait! Where's Seven?!" He asked in desperation and Nine suddenly became aware of the noises outside the Library and he glanced over, "She went outside already, but it doesn't sound like she's alone." There was a loud crashing noise and Five ripped his harpoon off his back before loading it, "It sounds like a Beast!" Six was ever more mortified, stumbling back, "It's come! It's finally come!" The others were unsure what to believe and Nine started to dash over.

Six's hold took him. It felt like a vice grip around his body and it tugged him back; there was no way to attack what wasn't there. "There's no stopping it! Once it has her it'll use her to get us, just like the others have, and it'll get you and it'll kill you!" The Artist was frantically trying to persuade the zippered male who was trying to pull away from what he couldn't. The striped one could see Child coming over and knew that he was going to intervene and grasped him as well, though a weaker hold. "Don't you care that Nine's about to die?! If you go out I have no choice then… Then not letting you come back in!"

The squeal of the bucket lift punctuated his cries as Child spat out, "Really? I didn't know we had that option." Six wasn't content with how far everything was tumbling out of control. It wasn't supposed to be like this; he was trying to save him and it was his own kind who were thwarting his every move. He only had a second before he noticed that Five was running towards the entrance. Six risked dropping Child, he knew he wouldn't go anywhere without Nine anyway, to grasp for him. Yet as Five disappeared from view Six realized in horror that he couldn't grasp something he couldn't see.

"I'm tired." He growled out, looking back to Nine and Child, who were now beside each other, "Tired of all of you thinking I'm some sort of _freak _and not listening. I told you it was coming and you didn't care. You didn't care at all. So now I'm going to _make _you care." Right after he finished these words the ground disappeared beneath him and he realized his jacket was tightening around him. The tight hand on his collar made sure of it and he was shaken a few times before his telekinetic hold fell apart.

Looking back he could see Eight and felt a pang of anger that was somewhat overtaken by dread as he noticed how furious the Guard was. He turned to Nine and Child, "You two go after Seven. I'll handle this." Nine nodded in agreement and turned away, the two heading off after Seven, not willing to stay longer than they already had. Eight turned and started storming in a random direction, still carrying Six by the back of his jacket. The Artist was very uncomfortable in the situation and spoke.

"Eight?" He tried to hold the innocent tone, but Eight didn't buy it, so Six now tried a firmer one, "Eight, put me down, I can walk." He insisted, but the Guard still ignored him, carrying him into the back. They arrived at the pool where Eight circled to the shallow end where he suddenly released Six. The Artist plunged into the water, sputtering and mortified, held down by his jacket until his head popped out of the water. Eight was waiting and positively fuming about this entire situation, "Now you're going to listen to me." He instructed firmly, crossing his arms and staring down at the smaller.

Six had the nerve to actually give a small glare back, mostly because he was now soaking and heavy. He stood in the water and his burning temperature steadily began to plummet as he found himself shivering once again, clasping the heavy jacket to his tiny frame. "You know, I almost thought I was going too hard on you up there, but even then you couldn't stop. You still had to do something that made no sense at all. You know falling down that lift can hurt you the same way as just jumping? Were you even thinking about that?"

Six went to speak, but was interrupted, "I'm not done. I'm through with this, Six. You're going to listen now and you're going to listen hard." The only thing that kept his voice from raising was knowing that the louder he got the less Six was likely to hear. The striped one didn't do well with yelling and even in this state the Guard was willing to believe it. "This is going to stop now. You can't just start throwing people around because you're afraid they're going to leave and I'm not going to have you start threatening them, especially when you're going through with them."

"But I was _right._" Six said, tightening his sharp fingers into firm fists, "It's out there right now. That thing, out there, wanting to get in." Eight was at the end of his tether with this comment and felt the need to retort firmer. "And you think this is keeping us safe? I don't even want to think of how far you'd go if I didn't drag you over here to call you out on it! What's next; tying Nine up and shoving him in the back room? No, wait, I got something better; why don't you just take one of the kids as ransom?"

Six flinched at this, "When it comes-." To which Eight outright interrupted, "There's nothing coming, Six! Don't you see that?! Look," he put his hands out, "nothing here! No Beast- Except that one outside which is probably that Winged Beast that was stalking Cat- and nothing overtaking anything or attacking anyone except for you!" The striped one suddenly looked surprised, then confused, and suddenly a little hurt. "…What?" Yet Eight had already saw this look upstairs and knew that it wasn't to be trusted in the slightest.

"Don't give me that look because I ain't buying it twice. The only thing taking over and tearing up the Sanctuary is you. There's no 'Beast in Stitchpunk Fabric'." Six looked genuinely hurt and winced slightly before staring upwards at Eight with wide optics, "But… No, Eight… Eight, there is a Beast." Eight knew he was about to say something he would regret, but he knew that with Six's current behavior he probably wouldn't get through to him under normal circumstances. So he let it slip, "Something that looks like a Stitchpunk and acts like a Beast. Yeah, sounds familiar doesn't it?"

Suddenly Six inhaled sharply and Eight tried his hardest not to go back on his words. His pride wouldn't allow him to go back when Six was acting so crazed. Yet as the words entered Six's audio receptors the small male suddenly had a stark realization. "You're right…Aren't you?" He admitted blankly as he stared down into the water around him, "But… No… I don't know." He began to ramble before his breath quickened, "I don't know, Eight! I don't know if it's me or if it's out there, and my head hurts _so badly_!"

He grasped at his yarn and sputtered pitifully, "I didn't know what else to do! They wouldn't listen, they never listen, so how am I supposed to protect them?!" He waded to the edge of the pool and collapsed against it, soaked body going limp and legs wobbly even in water, and his dampened fingers leaking dried ink that had been wetted once again. He pressed his forehead to the cold marble and for a second, even though he was chilled, the cool against his forehead felt relieving. Suppressing the horrific pain and burning that had been growing.

Eight stared down at him before kneeling down on one knee. "Six…" he started firmly, "You're not supposed to worry about protecting them or me. Remember what I said during our vows?" The Guard knew this wasn't an elongated trick and reached down to stroke a hand over Six's yarn, "I'm here to protect you, you know that, and I'm not planning on letting anything get in here to hurt you. Or the others, but mostly you. I love you." The striped one glanced upwards at the other male, "You still love me the same? You're not angry?"

The larger shook his head, "I'm not angry." Honestly he wasn't anymore, not with Six realizing he was in the wrong, and he reached down to lift the smaller one onto the marble, holding him securely. Six rested on his front and his body immediately gave in to the other's hold. The Guard slipped his arms underneath the smaller casually only or Six to draw back, "Wait." He protested to which Eight pointed out, "You need to get sleep. I'm taking you to bed." The Artist glanced down at his jacket before reaching down and fumbling with the leather.

It opened and even in the chill of the Library he was ready to let the heavy, soaked jacket go. It dropped to the ground beneath him worthless. Then clung to Eight again desperately and only hoped that the Guard was right about the Beast.

* * *

As Seven climbed over the bent side of the metal gate leading into the courtyard she knew it was bearing down on her. Circling around in the sky high above as she attempted to get a vantage point somewhere higher. The Winged Beast wasn't much different than any other, save that its wings were made of oil stained canvas that looked blank of any insignia. Considering that most were made out of leftover banners, this was a bit strange, but Seven knew better than to rely on it being different.

It landed heavily beside the fence on the stone ground of the courtyard and watched her with the precision of any winged creature. She felt light dread, but knew better than to fear it, because it was just another Winged Beast and she had taken these down before. As she neared the top it revealed the harpoon on the tip of its tail. She could only gasp before it shot through the air at her. She quickly dropped down and clung to the metal gate further down, managing to dodge the sharp harpoon as it slipped through the grate and continued some ways before coming to a halt and falling out of the air, laying limp from the gate on.

Then came a quick shriek from the Winged Beast and the pale female looked back to see that it was now distracted with another Stitchpunk that had appeared, Five. He had fired a needle against the side of its neck and now it had its head crooked towards the Healer in interest. Though as it began to reel in its harpoon once again it was caught on the gate, and it tugged tighter to no avail, in this event Seven suddenly had a quick, yet risky idea. She climbed through the bars before waiting until she was certain that the Winged Beast was paying little attention towards her.

She slipped the spear above the rope, holding on tightly, before skidding downwards along it. She knew that if she dropped she was liable to hurt herself, but thankfully the ride only seemed to last a few seconds before she was able to leap onto the Winged Beast's back, diving with her spear leading the way. While she missed its neck, she went straight through its wing and landing on the ground. The Winged Beast shrieked and plunged its beak towards her, her quickly rolling out of the way before she was hit.

Five reloaded his own harpoon and fired at the Winged Beast, clipping its head. Seven ran under its underside, which she noticed was dripping with oil and suddenly realized that it was injured. These injuries were clearly not done by her though. Yet the second it detected her underneath it suddenly had an odd change of mind and took into the skies once again. It circled a few times, screeching down at the two, before starting off. By time Nine and Child appeared it was gone.

Seven didn't have time to waste and turned to the others before beckoning them along. "We don't have any more time to waste!"

* * *

**Mable: The next chapter will be posted tomorrow and everything will be resolved… Or, well, some things will be resolved, but I'm not willing to say more than that. I hope everyone enjoyed!**


	12. Chapter 12: The Eventual Recovery

**Mable: Here's chapter twelve! I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

* * *

_**Fabric Runs Shallow**_

_Chapter Twelve: The Eventual Recovery_

_Child stared at his desk quietly. There wasn't much else he could do at this state; Two had just given him the news and now he had to put the pieces back together. After all, he was the one who converted Cat, it only made sense that he would know the most about the strange Beast turned Stitchpunk's body. Yet as he sat there he was a bit out of ideas, not knowing where to turn next. That was until the bedroom curtain opened. He glanced back wearily only to see Nine and feel a slight perk. _

_While he didn't visibly show it Nine seemed to always brighten his mood and he could use his advice in this grim situation. In fact, Nine was the only one he felt willing to accept advice from. "Hey." Nine greeted before offering, "I'm heading out to track the Winged Beast soon. Will you come too?" Child exhaled tiredly and while it was a weary one Nine must have taken it as a sarcastic or disgruntled one. "It won't be a long trip." He added in and Child looked back to the desk before speaking and saying, "I'm not exactly prepared to go stalk a Winged Beast." _

_A bump on the ankle stole his attention before he could offer his own suggestion to Nine about the part. He looked down underneath the desk to see where Pet and Toto cuddled at his feet, them having moved and done it, and felt a little smile emerge. Then Nine spoke, "Then you leave me no other option." He had a mock serious tone and Child blinked in confusion before Nine started to move beside him. He finally looked back to see his mate moving weirdly, twitching and swinging his arms, and Child raised a brow, "I… Don't follow." _

_Nine continued to go with an amused look plastered on his face before shuffling his feet around and stepping back and forth, moving oddly. "Are you dancing?" Child guessed, but doubted this. That was until Nine admitted, "And I'm not going to stop until you change your mind." The pale male stared in dumbfound. Though it was obvious what Nine was doing; he was going with the tactic that if he confused or amused Child enough he would put him in a good mood, then would be able to convince him better. _

_Perhaps a pitiful effort, but Child couldn't help but get a little bit of a smile. Nine's pitiful movements couldn't be considered a dance at all. "Nine, I don't know how you think this will convince me, but tragic to say it's not going to." Maybe he would have been believed if he was fully able to suppress the light smile that forced through. "Then I'll just have to keep going." Nine insisted, certain that eventually Child would just give in, even as stubborn as he was sometimes. He started to turn in slow circles as he moved like a limp ragdoll and Child could only shake his head before noticing something that caught his interest. _

_Oddly enough, something about Nine stumbling around like a fool, just subtly moving his hips enough to pique the other male's interest was quite a bit intriguing. Child suddenly became very aware that he was enjoying this a bit too much. He was prepared to stop Nine when the zippered male offered again, probably becoming a bit disheartened knowing Nine. "Are you almost convinced?" Suddenly Child felt a bit devious and tried to suppress an adequate smirk for the occasion. "Perhaps… Maybe if you continued going at this rate. I assume that I would eventually have no choice."_

_Nine had this strange feeling that Child was going to use this as blackmail later on, but kept going. That was, until the pale male stood, and he assumed for a second that they would be leaving. Instead, Child moved in and rested his hands on the other's hips, massaging in small circles. "Here. Perhaps if you move a bit like this…"_

Nine's blank look confused Five. "Nine?" He asked and the zippered male blinked before Five asked again, "What did you say you did?" The younger waved it off with a quick smile to cover. "Just talked, mostly, nothing out of the usual really." He hoped he didn't sound too desperate but it was a very embarrassing situation and Five was one of the Stitchpunks who Nine didn't want to know about the event. "_Note to self; never try to convince anyone of anything ever again." _He mentally noted before looking across the hall at the workshop door.

The curtain was closed, but the surgery had long been over. Five needed to sit down after running back and forth between Two and Child, trying to assist the operation while learning how to do it. "How'd Cat look?" Nine asked, trying to change the conversation, and Five paused, "I… Don't really know how exactly to explain. There was oil everywhere, but Two said that it was normal given the circumstances. I'm not sure why, but his pulse stabilized completely after the replacement was finished, so we took it as a good sign."

Nine was pleased to hear this, but still a bit worried, and played with the idea of going into the Workshop to wait. Two, Child, and Seven still lingered there waiting for Cat to awaken. Two was sitting on a stool by the workbench, managing to stay the most patient and calmly waiting. Child was stretched out on the sitting bench quietly. Seven couldn't sit; she paced about the room stubbornly, even when she knew she was no better than Five when he was waiting for Twelve to be born. Child had stood to coax her to sit shortly ago, but she had declined, and he only tried once before fully giving in.

Occasionally Cat would twitch, but he seemed to refuse to awaken again. Yet when she checked one last time she noticed his optics were open if not extensively dilated and filled with daze. "He's awake." she abruptly announced. Two straightened and stood fast enough that he nearly tripped over the stool. He hurried to the injured male's side, "Cat?" The male fidgeted a bit and coughed a little. "Is your chest hurting?...Let me give you a bit of magnet, but try to stay awake for a while." He headed over to the workbench and looked for the magnet.

"How'd I get in here?" Cat asked with his voice groaning in protest and Seven explained, "Don't you remember? Two wasn't finished, we brought you in here to get some parts replaced." He watched her with a blank look and Two defended, "Amnesia is common just after surgery. He might not remember everything for a little while and this magnet certainly isn't going to help." He raised Cat's head and pressed the small magnet to the top, "But I'm sure that the ease of pain, especially since he should try staying awake, is worth a bit of an unsteady mind."

"Of course." Seven quipped, but merely watched almost helplessly as Two measured the dosage, Cat's optics fading over with static. Two counted down for a few seconds before pulling back and Cat released a low purr. "Better?" Two offered and Cat agreed, "Feeling fine." The Inventor smiled warmly before putting the magnet on the workbench, "Very good. I'll put this here in case you need more. For the moment I'm going to quickly go check on my fussy loved ones. All," he nudged Seven, "_three _of them." She gave a polite laugh past her worry and he chuckled before leaving the room.

He caught Five and Nine's attention on the way out and filled them in. "He's alright. I'm going to go see the little ones." Nine and Five looked quite relieved and the former stood, "Can I come with you?" Two nodded quickly and the two were off, leaving Five to stand and head towards the curtained door. He pushed it open a bit to peer into the room lit by the gentle glow of a candle. Seeing that Seven was speaking to Cat he was eased quite a bit, yet still was a bit surprised when a small hand touched his arm.

Looking back he could see Three's soft face behind him, silently questioning him, and let the curtain close as he reached back to place a hand on hers, "Everything's okay." He insisted, to which she gave a small smile and rested her head on his shoulder lovingly. Being mute it wasn't easy to express all emotions, she lacks the words to say that she loved him, but at least this small gesture could show it and he took her into his arms to hold her. He waited a few seconds before adding in, "I know about None."

Three just nodded against him. "You probably already knew. He told me what's going on and…. Well, that's going to be okay too. It'll work out." Three gave a questioning look as if checking if he was sure to which he responded by leaning in and pressing his lips to hers. Even stuck in silence he could already predict what she was saying and pulled back to answer with, "I'm positive." The two continued their little moment in the hall, unbothered by anything outside of it, letting everything else just run its course.

Cat was still on the edge of delusion, "Dove, tell me a story." He suddenly purred to which Seven looked to Child who responded with, "You're on your own." Before nearly dashing from the room. "You are a lot of help." The Warrior stated after him before looking to Cat, "You want a story?" He suddenly rubbed his head wearily, "Yeah. What did Two say about the tiredness?" She wasn't sure if he was making her purposely feel guilty or if his mind was so hazed from the magnet that he was this confused. She exhaled before sitting at the end of the bed. "I can do a story just fine. What do you want to hear about?"

Cat paused for a few seconds before coyly replying, "Birds." Seven blinked and he rolled his head towards her, "Tell me about birds, Dove. I've only seen one." There was some sort of deep admiration in his voice and she exhaled lowly, "Alright, then. Birds. I will tell you a story about birds." She paused long enough to prop her spear on the wall and started, "A long time ago when the war was at its peak the Emptiness was much more dangerous than it is now. Explosions were a constant, bullets pierced through the air, and both man and Machine were a risk for our kind, save the rare few."

She checked to make sure Cat was paying attention. He was, but he still looked a bit dazed, so she continued a bit more slowly. "There were only a few who remained and one of them in particular was at a crossroads. They knew what they wanted to be, what they were destined to be, but there was a barrier that resided. This one was supposed to survive and thrive through the war, but she was just as helpless as anyone else, and worse still she had begun to grow fearful of her world." She knew she had let it slip that the character was a female, but she doubted Cat was paying that much attention.

"But one day while she was exploring a quiet area she was confronted by fear once again. She didn't know how to defend herself and she didn't even know what she'd do if a Machine or a human were to appear and become aggressive towards her. She heard a noise nearby and expected the worse, but when she went to see she instead saw the most beautiful creature in the world." She tightened her grip on the bedding as she looked upwards towards the ceiling, "It was beautiful. A clash of white and brown upon the feathers that was perched on a telephone wire."

She glanced over again, he was still watching, and he looked rather interesting. "I'm not sure what kind of bird it was, to tell the truth, and neither did she. It was just amazing. Seeing it land upon that wire, watching as it scanned the ground for something, anything, and slowly crept closer. Since the war most of the birds had succumbed to the poison and some even had dropped out of the air to lay dead along the roads, yet this one survived. But there was something different about its movement to a normal bird's."

Cat was kneading at the bedding, his claws massaging as he imagined the bird. It had to be some sort of hunting reflex and Cat was getting obvious pleasure thinking about it. It made Seven smile a little bit and eased the mood some before she explained, "Apparently the poison had reached the bird. It wasn't acting like one of the normal birds, looking around rapidly and setting its eyes upon her, seeing her through the rubble. Perhaps it was hungry, perhaps it thought she was a threat, but it descended upon her."

Seven straightened her posture a bit and crossed her legs at the ankles, trying to get more comfortable. "The thing she admired as beauty and grace in its most radiant form plunged through the air towards her. She tried to run, but as it kept in the air it beat its wings at her, grabbing at her with its talons. For something so small it fought well and nearly overcame her." She paused for suspense, "She knew that this creature could actually kill her in its frantic state and had to fight back. As she skidded back across the ground her hand landed on a sharp bit of shrapnel and grabbed it before lashing out."

Again she paused, checked Cat whose kneading had stopped, and continued. "With instincts she didn't know she had, she lashed out at the bird, and the majestic creature was stuck down. Once it had been put down she looked upon it and felt badly. The war had turned it violent; it was its fear that triggered it to lash out. It was at that moment that she finally was able to make her decision and pass the barrier. She wanted to be like that bird; graceful and strong, surviving the war even though it was born not to."

She decided just to end the story there and Cat caught on after a few seconds. He gave a little bit of a smile, "That the story about how you got your helmet?" he offered and she gave a coy smile in response, "It may be. Or it might just be the story I give out." Whether or not it was, it seemed sincere enough and Cat seemed to know that, gently reaching out and running his clawed fingers across her small hand before tugging it closer. She moved in slightly and he tried to wrap himself around her body, relaxing as he held her close.

She wasn't sure but she swore that he looked distressed.

* * *

Six found himself rolling over again and staring at the opposite wall once more. A huff of frustration passed through his lips followed by a pitiful groan. He was exhausted, his head hurt still, and yet he couldn't sleep. It was simple enough to apologize to Eight, to be carried to bed, and then to try to sleep and erase the last few days. Eight promised to go tell the others that everything was alright as long as the Artist himself would go say something in the morning. Then he laid down and tried to get some rest, but unfortunately his body wasn't finished.

After the dunking in the water his fever seemed to have broken as he no longer felt cold, but his headache still lingered, and his legs twitched without provocation. He had rolled back and forth dozens of time as he fought the urge to get out of bed. Of course right when he thought maybe he was there towards much needed sleep he was interrupted. He was steadying his breath and counting slowly when he heard heavy footsteps. He let out a pitiful noise before glancing back towards the door, watching as Eight passed through.

Eight noticed quickly that Six was still awake and raised a brow in confusion, "What're you still doing up?" The striped one looked pathetic and released a poor pout, "Can't sleep." The Guard wasn't sure exactly what to say, but was clearly not exactly thrilled seeing that Six was still awake. After all he was under the impression that the lack of sleep was leading to the strange behavior. "I tried." Six insisted sadly and fidgeted under the blankets. Eight crossed to the wall placed down his knife that he had been sharpening out in the throne room.

"You're not missing anything out there. They're just playing with the kids, but even they're being quiet." He sat down on the edge of the bed and Six suddenly scooted over towards him. "Then can you stay with me? I don't… I don't want to be alone. Not when I can't sleep." The Guard paused before exhaling, "Yeah. I've got nothing better to do." His weight on the bed was comforting, especially when he leaned back against the bedframe and put an arm around Six's body, pulling him close so that he could rest against him.

The striped one immediately cuddled into him and closed his optics desperately. He just wanted it to stop; he wouldn't deny that there was still the nagging worry that something was coming to hurt him, yet he trusted Eight and just wanted to get sleep. The Guard wasn't exactly tired and simply stroked the smaller's head, somewhat wondering if it would actually do anything, but was willing to wait until Six was asleep. Continuing the steady movements he could feel Six's breathing slow down and watched as the sharp hand resting on his buckle started to ease its grip, finally beginning to fall asleep.

Finally able to drift away from the fears and for the first time in what seemed like forever, Six slept without nightmares.

* * *

Sometimes Two just liked to sit in bed and make lists. It was a soothing pass time and since he wasn't yet ready to sleep it seemed resourceful enough. One was already long asleep and the children were as well. As he jotted down ideas for new projects, contemplating a new workshop, he heard a stirring from the nearby throne room. For a seconds he perked and listened, but it was quickly apparent that it was simply someone wandering around. He brushed it off and continued writing down ideas.

It wasn't long until the strange footsteps came closer, heading down the hallway and towards the bedroom door where they stopped. The Inventor looked towards the curtain and knew someone was waiting outside. Once it became apparent that they weren't coming in Two climbed from bed, making sure not to wake One as he did, and headed to the doorway before stepping out. Oddly enough there was Cat standing there, looking a little unsteady, helmet half on. "Cat, what are you doing out here this late, and out of bed? You can't possibly be feeling better." He reminded in a friendly manner.

"Better enough." Cat slurred, "I took just enough magnet to get me over here." He leaned against the wall with his hand that failed to keep place and slid. He soon after fell into the wall and Two reached out to help straighten him, "A bit much, perhaps?" He suggested in amusement to which Cat somewhat shrugged, "I needed to come out here. So I was thinking of back… You know, _then_, because Seven was talking about how she was attack by a bird. Long story short, I'm sorry."

Two was absolutely confused, "There's nothing you should be sorry for." But Cat was determined, "No, no. Not now. Back then. Back before I was," he shifted his hands over his body, "this." Two was finally catching on and smiled, "There's no need to apologize for anything that happened while you were a beast. You were doing only what came natural." Yet Cat still seemed disturbed even through his delusion of magnet, "That's why I wanted to come in here and tell you about it."

He smiled and Two decided to smile back, even though he was certain that the beast turned Stitchpunk was probably not going to remember this tomorrow. He reached out and put a hand on Two's head, oddly petting it as though he was petting one of the children. Which amused Two; Cat was certainly tall enough and Two was certainly short enough to make it possible. "Don't worry about all of that, I don't. Come along, let's get you into bed. Would you prefer to go with Seven into her room?"

Being the middle of the night Two was fine with Cat trying to sleep now and he began to lead him down the hall. Cat stumbled beside him, leaning almost completely on Two, "She's asleep on the other cot…. So I'll just take her bed." The Inventor chuckled as they went off down the hall before Cat added in, "So now that we're good on everything, can I ask you something?" The Inventor fondly nodded. It was best that Cat trusted him; just the same, Two trusted Cat completely. In fact, he doubted either even really remembered whatever event had him feeling guilty.

"Why didn't you just get in the can?"

Or maybe Two needed to stop expecting the best.

* * *

**Mable: So this was the end of the second arc!... Or, really, the first arc that just had a pause between part one and two. Now I have to take a week off of uploads and will begin again next Saturday. This is because I'm… Falling a little behind, honestly, I have a request to finish as well and I want to get everything done in a timely fashion. It'll be time to upload again before you, or I, realize it. Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed the beginning of 'Fabric Runs Shallow', and I'll be back to continue next week!**


	13. Chapter 13: The Upmost Convincing

**Mable: Whoa, I uploaded this just in the nick of time! Not counting how long it will take to appear on Fanfiction, it will be posted before Midnight… I've got to stop making deadlines like this. -.- Tomorrow will be sooner, I promise. Anyway, I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

* * *

_**Fabric Runs Shallow**_

_Chapter Thirteen: The Upmost Convincing _

The afternoon sun poured through the high windows as the small group of Stitchpunks spent a relaxing day together. The twins were going through an old book full of maps that was opened across the floor. The present map was opened to a detailed picture of Luxembourg and part of the countries surrounding it. They were pointing out interesting places to each other while the others sat nearby, being Nine and Five who were sitting on a small box nearby that was taped shut with peeling, yellowed tape.

None was standing behind them looking through some old bottles. "Another one full of dried glue!" He called over to the twins who looked back, nodded, and turned back to their book once again. His twin watched in amusement before studying the book for a second as well. The twins were so eager about the map. "They must really enjoy studying maps." He pointed out to his friend who looked slightly sheepish as he stated with obvious endearment, "They do, and- well- everything else that they can." His optic went back to Three who looked back at this moment and waved affectionately.

It nearly drew a laugh out of Nine how sweetly affectionate and painfully awkward his friend was being. He gave None a knowing smile, but his twin was too busy looking past him and staring at the twins with an unreadable expression. The zippered male looked back at the two younger Stitchpunks and tried to figure out why he was staring. Perhaps it was at the map which soon also caught Nine's attention. Specifically a name on the map that he hadn't noticed before but recognized just the same. Before he could seek out answers Five spoke.

"Six is here." He pointed out in almost a little bit of surprise and Nine followed his gaze to the entrance into the twins' study. There was Six and Eight, Six leading the way while staring at his feet and clutching his key tightly. Even from this distance Nine noticed that Six's gaze seemed more focused and that his movements were more natural. They were still unsteady at times and hesitant, but in a normal way for Six to move, and upon entering the area he glanced upwards at them before immediately looking back down.

He looked like he was feeling guilty. Even through everything, Nine felt bad for Six; he knew how nervous he had to be feeling since everything that happened. He was probably feeling unsure and afraid, which Nine knew and understood just the same. The Artist glanced back to Eight and said something that was too quiet to hear. The Guard seemed to be acting like normal as well and casually seemed to say something before randomly pointing out None. Nine mentally noted that more and more weird occurrences were involving his twin.

Eight gave Six a small nudge on the back in a surprisingly gentle way, considering that Eight wasn't usually able to even manage something as weak as a nudge, and the striped one headed over to None. On the way he noticed Nine and Five were staring. For a second Nine actually froze and questioned whether to say something or anything, but Five managed to be the one that stayed collected. "Hey Six." He greeted and raised a hand in a small wave. Nine followed suite with the gesture. Six gave a small bit of a worried smile and raised his hand, waving his sharp fingers.

Then he was in front of None who was kneeling on the floor and looked upwards in his own surprise. "Six?" He asked to which Six blurted out, "None, about- yesterday- I'm sorry." He managed to coax out timidly, "I shouldn't have acted like that. I shouldn't have done that." For a few seconds None just stared upwards at him in the same disbelief before shaking it off, "Yeah- no- It's alright." He gave a carefree smile and Six seemed unsure still, 'Really?" He asked and the twin nodded in reassurance before Six finally released an exhale, "Oh good. I wasn't expecting- I don't know what I expected after that."

He looked at the floor again quietly and Nine felt the need to speak, "Six, it's okay. We know that it wasn't all you and we know that what was you was trying to help us." This made the Artist feel a lot better and he smiled back at Eight who started to come over as well. He then looked at the little bottles that None was going through. He lowered himself onto his knees and grabbed the closest one before unscrewing the cap. None warned him, not knowing what attracted him to the peculiar bottle, "Careful with that one. It smells strong."

Six opened the cap and nodded, "I could smell it through the cap." He smiled a bit more as he peered inside, "I knew it! It's Turpentine!" He stated rather joyously and None blinked, not exactly understanding what it was. Five explained, "It's used as a solvent. Two used to use it with candle nubs to wax the workbench." Nine and None sort of both tried to figure out what that comment even meant while Six chimed in. "It can make paint be useable again and I think you can use it to make ink." None tiredly looked to the other bottles, "Any ideas on what it would do to glue?"

Nine turned his attention away from the conversation and looked back to the map and to what he noticed earlier, moving over to kneel beside the twins. "Belgium." He read the name of the country located firmly above Luxembourg, "Didn't Child say something about it?" He looked to the twins and they shrugged indecisively. While he knew Child must have done so, he had a feeling that whatever Child had said wasn't particularly pleasant, yet was oddly curious.

"Hey, Five." He called back to his friend who still sat on the books, "When do you think One will let us travel again?" The Healer was somewhat taken aback by this, "Travel? But the baby-." It was almost amusing that Five was now worrying over a baby that wasn't even his and Nine spoke, "I know she's only a few days old, but Twenty-One wasn't too old when we first started taking him out." He looked back to the map, "I know Child mentioned something about Belgium and, from this map, it doesn't look too far. It might be worth the trip."

He paused as though he was considering it as Eight spoke, brow raised, "You think you can convince One?" His voice held doubt, and amusement, but mostly doubt to which Nine rebutted, "Not exactly, but I can convince Two and Two can convince One." While Eight was still not bought he shrugged slightly as he acknowledged that the point still stood. "I'll head back to the throne room and see. If they say no we can wait, or always just go in a small group. You two want to go?" He suddenly asked the twins who nodded vigorously, suddenly jumping at the thought of going somewhere new.

This had a bit of a hidden motive as while Nine couldn't convince Five alone he noticed that his best friend seemed to pay a bit more attention once Three confirmed that she was interested. He then headed out and towards the bucket lift alone, leaving the others to communicate and plan amongst themselves if that was what they were doing. It didn't take too long to raise the lift and arrive in the throne room. On the carpet was Twenty-One and Two, the latter who was disguising teaching as playing. "Now look, you put this block in front of this one. Then if you use the letters together it will sound like-."

"Umm, Two?" Nine asked in confusion, "Think he's old enough to learn to read?" The Inventor chuckled a bit and playfully pulled the smaller into his lap to keep him from knocking over the blocks. "It's never too soon to begin learning." He quoted while noticing that Nine was looking around the room carefully. "Something on your mind? We can talk; One stepped out to get Twelve." The zippered male rubbed his arm and felt hesitance in speaking. He wanted to explain, but suddenly felt a bit hesitant seeing how comfortable the Inventor was.

"I was looking at a map and noticed that Belgium wasn't very far away and it's been while since we went anywhere." This caught Two's attention and he paused to consider it, "You're wanting to go to Belgium?" He offered and Nine nodded silently to see his reaction. The Inventor paused briefly to think while trying to hold Twenty-One who was still trying to squirm and get to the blocks. "Well, it has been a bit… Active around here." He pointed out, "But then again, it has been a while since we left the Sanctuary. We may be getting stir crazy, and if Belgium isn't far…"

Nine was waiting anxiously, but before Two spoke Child suddenly seemed to appear, only inches behind Nine. "Belgium?" He questioned and Nine jumped a bit before looking back, "Why do you always do that? Is it on purpose?" Child ignored the comment and his voice grew wary, "Belgium is in ruins. I thought we discussed this." Nine corrected, "Not discussed. More like you mentioned it in passing. Just the same, how bad can it possibly be? The main factory is located here so why would another area be so affected?"

"Well, for one, I remember it as being destroyed." Child quipped matter-of-factly, "And considering the circumstances something that was 'remembered' might as well be fact. The Machine may have targeted it specifically because it was weakened by the war." He paused, looking away for a second, then finished, "Which could very well mean that because I understand this logic, so did the Machine. It's not worth it. It would be best to go south instead of north."

Nine wasn't entirely convinced, "How can we know it's dangerous if we don't go see? Besides, what makes south any safer?" Child huffed in annoyance, "Mountains, distance, Switzerland itself. It's safer than Belgium by far." Nine started to speak when suddenly One interrupted, "If I may remind you both," He pointed out with obvious suspicion heavy in his voice, one hand clutched around his staff while the other held his daughter who looked on the verge of sleeping, "you have not even gotten a definite answer on whether you are even going anywhere."

Nine tried to think of an excuse, but Child beat him to it, albeit not an adequate one. "We're just rehearsing for your argument, One. It takes two of us to come with a plausible idea." One scoffed, "Of course. I assume it is difficult to plan something behind my back. I should be surprised, but I am not." Nine was surprised at how mellow the Leader was as he crossed to the throne room. "So you aren't mad?" Nine asked to which the Leader responded, "If you want to go out there then fine. It's your choice."

"I guess they just assumed the worst." Two explained before perking, "Well then, Nine, I guess we will be heading to Belgium." Suddenly One did a complete reverse as he sputtered before demanding, "And what do you mean by 'we'?" Nine looked back and forth between the two, "But you just said-." One corrected before he could finish, "I said that _you _could go. That being you two. The rest of us, on the other hand, are needed here. Six has been days without sleep, that Cat just had major surgery, and most importantly, our baby is too young to face the elements."

"Twone baby?" Twenty-One questioned to which Two explained, "He means Twelve, Little One." The small male's face furrowed and he looked quite disturbed for a second, but it passed as One continue, "Absolutely not. You yourself even said that Belgium was dangerous." Child then leaned in and quipped, "_Someone _decided to remember." To an exasperated Nine who sputtered for a second before suddenly stating, "You're right. I'll just go by myself; I'll make better time that way."

Then, as simple as that, he took out of the throne room, not wanting to argue any further and deciding to just go alone. After all, it did seem adventurous to travel on one's own. He headed to the lift and quietly headed down to the Library below before crossing back to the others. Though as he thought over it again he realized that it wouldn't work. Maybe they were right, maybe Belgium was dangerous, and if this was the case he couldn't go alone. Or, really, Nine didn't want to be alone.

As he entered the study he noticed the others were looking to him as though they were expecting him to say something. It was almost uncomfortable and he simply shrugged, "It's a no." The twins looked upset from the news and looked downwards towards the map sadly. "Told you." Eight noted, now sitting on the box that dipped in a bit from his weight. Though he then looked to Six as to check whether or not he was upset. Thankfully Six wasn't; he was somewhat busy testing turpentine with dried glue.

Five looked to Nine sympathetically as he stood by the book where the twins were located, "Was One worried about Twelve?" he asked and Nine shrugged, "He was worried about a few of us. Six, the babies, Cat; he said I could go alone, but… I guess I'm considering it. I don't know how long I have until One changes his mind and says I can't go alone either." The Healer looked hesitant, "I don't think you should go out there alone, Nine…. Not that you can't handle yourself! Just-." He cut off and glanced back towards the entrance.

Nine looked back to see Child suddenly appear, stepping inside the study and looking somewhat annoyed. "Well, you won." He announced to Nine bitterly. Nine blinked, "I… won?" Child somewhat stormed over, though Nine believed it was too slow of a gait to be considered storming, as though he was purposely taking his time. "After your guilt trip Two immediately succumbed and he is determined to convince One to go." Nine stared at his mate in disbelief before None chimed in, "Doesn't succumbed mean dead?"

Child passively answered, "In most context. It can also be known as submitting or giving in, and now Two is submitting to be One's pleasure puppet." None of those in the immediate area caught the reference, but Eight made a weird noise between a snicker and a choke, pressing his fist to his mouth in an effort to suppress it. He was either very disturbed or somewhat amused, but he wasn't willing to decipher which one considering that he already knew what One and Two was doing as they had two children.

"Now we're all going to walk straight into a Beast's nest, into the only place more dangerous than this, just because you're curious." Nine exhaled before standing, "I wasn't trying to make them feel guilty, I was just being honest. I'm willing to go alone." He insisted, perhaps to spite Child, and the pale male was still relatively bitter. The zippered one then offered, "You don't have to come." To which Child muttered, "Of course I do."

A few seconds before Nine rested a hand on his shoulder, "We're going to be prepared. This isn't like a simple trip to Paris, we're going to brace ourselves and we're not going to approach anything that we can't." Child still seemed unsure by Nine's insistence, but was led over to the book by a hand on his back. "Since you know the most about Belgium, you can help plan the entire way, we'll do it together?" There was a small pause before Child nodded in agreement, "Alright, fine. If something goes wrong you won't be able to blame me."

The zippered male actually laughed at the other's pessimistic attitude and headed over to the book before kneeling down beside the map of Belgium, patting beside him so that the other could sit. Three and Four beamed at each other before the first twin stood and crossed over to where Five lingered, affectionately touching his hand and smiling at him. Four soon after stood and circled back to where None and Six were working, looking down at their work. The glue had loosened somewhat and was now caked into the striped male's pen tipped fingers as he continued to work the mixture.

"It should work now." He insisted to Four with an almost proud smile, "Turpentine is good for a lot of things! Maybe we can find more?" He suggested and Four nodded, certain that there was more somewhere around. "Great!" Six smiled, "Just give me a second. I need to wash this off before it sticks anymore." Then he noted, "My fingers are starting to stick together… Can't be any harder to get off than ink, now that I have this."

He lifted the bottle and hurried out of the study, Eight watching before standing and following, still not feeling secure enough to leave the smaller alone. Four watched them go before eagerly looking down at None and crouching down beside him. He glanced over to the others, talking and preparing, and smiled before resting a hand on her back.

* * *

Two watched as Child headed towards the lift. The male dismissed himself as the Inventor's inquiry and now he was alone with One, ready to speak. The Leader was busy propping Twelve in the pillows on the throne, making sure that she was well protected. "There you are, Princess. Now you are completely safe." He added in and leaned down to press his lips to the tiny one's forehead. The Inventor glanced down at Twenty-One who was ignoring the scene and playing with his toys. "Now that they are gone, why don't we discuss this?"

"We can discuss this further," One began, keeping his voice even for the children, "But I will warn you now that I have made up my mind and will not be changing it." Two sighed with a small exhale, "Then I have no choice but to convince you." The Leader exhaled, "Two, I can't understand why you are so insistent to leave, this soon after you've given birth." He paused for a few seconds before shaking his head, "Yet you will keep trying your hardest until I agree to this. Everyone so desperate to see something dangerous."

He shook his head quickly, "Do you realize that this will not be like Paris? Paris was abandoned with few Beasts, still very much dangerous Beasts, but this is guaranteed to be. This will be dangerous, obliterated by the war- more than even here. There will be obvious danger and-…" He cut off once again before shaking his head again, "None of this is getting through. I know you, I know you still want to go." He calmed a bit and accepted the fact before tucking the blanket around his new baby who stared up at him with wide optics. "Very well, Two. You have won, we will discuss this like adults."

He then pulled back and turned towards the shorter male before suddenly staring, "Two…" He started cautiously, "Why on Earth are you dancing?"

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**Mable: Next chapter will be posted tomorrow! I hope everyone enjoyed!**


	14. Chapter 14: The Wistful Travels

**Mable: Here we are at chapter fourteen! There's not much else I can say, as per usual, so instead I don't own 9 and Enjoy!**

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_**Fabric Runs Shallow**_

_Chapter Fourteen: The Wistful Travels_

The curtain opened and light fell in upon One's face. He released a low groan and slid downwards. His arms were already clinging around Two's frame as he steadily moved downwards to press his face between Two's neck and the pillow. For a few seconds he simply laid there for a few seconds before he heard movement beside the bed. He glanced back only to come face to face with Eight standing tall above him, arms crossed and eyeing down at the Leader. "Gah!" One jumped a bit and stared upwards at the Guard, clutching Two like a large pillow.

"What are you doing?!" He asked in shock to which Eight spoke quick, "You told me to wake you up." One blinked in confusion, "What are you doing awake this early?" The Guard gestured back with his thumb, "The kids were awake so Six took them into the throne room." Now the Leader sat up straight and stared at the empty cribs in concern while Two started to rouse. "I'll get them.' He groggily insisted, stumbling out of bed and nearly dashing out of the room. "Two?" One called after him to which he called back, "Going to get Twelve and Twenty-One!"

He was nearly frantic even though, out of everyone, he should have been calmed. One assumed it was from the recent birth and turned over before laying back down. "I'll be getting up shortly." He insisted and closed his optics, to which Eight simply stared before asking, "You're not going back to sleep, are you?" One waved him off and the guard silently walked away. He now headed back into the throne room where Two was now located, checking in before continuing his job.

On the floor in front of the throne was Six. He was holding Twelve close to his chest and petting Twenty-One who was resting against his thigh. Two looked torn standing there; his hands twitched like he wanted to intervene, but he was smiling and holding back. He knew that they were safe in Six's hands and yet his budding separation anxiety screamed to hold his children. Finally he forced himself to dismiss himself, "Eight, let me go wake the others. It will help me stretch my legs." He insisted and took off down the hall.

Naturally the first person he went to see was Five who was in bed still. None was asleep as well and so was Nine who was laying on top of his blanket, tucked in with Child's cape. The Inventor began to cross to Five's bed, not noticing someone creeping behind him until he heard the sound of creaking wood. Looking back he noticed one of the twins by the door and gave a knowing smile, "Spent the night with Five, did you?" He asked coyly and she jumped a bit before he waved it off, "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

Though as she smiled and ducked out he noticed something that immediately caught his attention. The number on the Stitchpunk's front wasn't a 'three' but a clear 'four' instead. He nearly stopped and questioned her, but stopped himself and let her go. "Two?" Five groggily spoke and the Inventor replaced his confusion with a smile. "Good morning, Five. Just waking you all so that we can leave bright and early." He insisted before walking to Nine's side and gently rousing him, "Rise and shine." Nine soon awoke and the action was repeated to None's as well.

Five immediately went to pack while Nine sluggishly followed behind him. "Didn't get much sleep?" The Healer offered with amusement to which the zippered male agreed, "Unfortunately not. I spent most of last night trying to figure out the best route to Belgium." He rubbed his head tiredly before reaching down to pet Button who was scurrying around on the floor. "I think that taking the streets would be quickest and easiest." Then suddenly asked, "What about taking him?" The Healer looked confused and Nine explained, "I mean Button."

"Oh… I don't know." Five answered unsurely, "He's still sort of young, and his leg…" Now Two suddenly spoke, "Just because something has a slight short coming doesn't mean he won't adapt to become better than before." He smiled and Five shrugged a bit, smiling, "I guess that's true…" He knew Two was nudging at him, but was still unsure, especially when Button came over to rub on Five's leg with a soft squeak. "Alright." He caved with a soft sigh, "He can come. We just need to be careful with him." He insisted as he reached down to lift the smaller into his grasp. "I'll bring Toto to keep an eye on him."

"If you're sure." Five murmured and Two turned to None who was getting out of bed. He didn't say anything, but he looked a bit more alert than the others, and was so eager that he took out of the room. Maybe Two's resolve suddenly dropped as he too took out of the room, most likely to go find Six and reclaim hold of his new infant. Nine and Five headed into the hall, the former sluggishly moving and rubbing his head tiredly. He pulled Child's cape off, which he had been casually keeping draped over his shoulders, and approached Child's room.

"He must have tucked me in last night and left this behind. I hope he didn't stay awake all night." He pushed the curtain open and peered in to see Child collapsed on the bed. "Or he tucked me in and… came back here to sleep?" He was a little confused, but noticed two, small Beasts over in the small pet bed to the side. "Toto? Pet?" He called and the two peeked out of their bedding before crossing over to him. He smiled down at them and reached down to pet Toto who affectionately rubbed on him while Pet headed over to Five who set down Button.

Pet immediately began to play with the smaller in a gentle way as he could tell his offspring was still young. It brought a smile to Five who somewhat considered the relationship like his and Two's. Nine, meanwhile, crossed to the bed before bending over the bed, "Child?" he spoke quietly while softly shaking the pale one's frame. Child's optics opened slowly, tiredly, and Nine tried to explain about what was going on. Of course it wasn't nearly as easy when the other male was trying to somewhat grapple him, putting his arms around the zippered male's waist and trying to cuddle him.

"We need to go." Nine insisted as Child began to liter light kisses on his zipper pull, "and Five's sort of watching." 'Sort of' was correct; Five looked once and then unsubtly looked in the completely opposite direction while standing there awkwardly. Though around this time Seven wandered by with Cat in tow, which caught the Healer's attention, "Are you sure you're ready for this, Cat?" The male dismissed the concern, "Yeah, I'm good. It's starting to wear off; I only feel like I'm going to pass out when I do anything other than sleep."

Five chuckled at the joke, he hoped he was joking, and Nine gave another tug at Child. "We can celebrate when we get there, okay?" He pressed his lips to the top of Child's head and the pale male's somewhat aroused behavior took a turn to something much calmer. He pulled back and sat upwards as Nine put the cloak around his shoulders and fixed it. "You'll be needing this, it's a sunny day today." Child released a somewhat low grumbling noise of disturbance which amused Nine.

Yet at the same time, something about taking care of Child like this, about this little acts that came with being mates made him feel significantly happier. Child stood and the two entered the hall, Five joining with them and heading into the throne room. One was out of bed by now and was standing by the throne that Two was sitting in, holding Twelve and a squirming Twenty-One, and was clearly wanting to leave. "It's about time the rest of you awoke." He pointed out to the group, including Seven who was obviously awake for a while, and he looked back towards those who were waiting.

"Come along. The sooner we leave, the sooner we arrive." He reached down to lift Twenty-One who was glad to be doing something and kicking his legs around as he was lifted. Two had Twenty-One's old carrying bag that he quickly tucked Twelve into so she could sleep peacefully. Julius was there as well, but looked a bit tired, and boarded the lift with the others. The twins went in with him, Three waving in a friendly fashion while Four was quietly watching the floor, which none other than Two noticed.

The lift was boarded by most of the group and started to head downwards. Nine and None were left behind and staring down at the lift quietly when None suddenly asked, "Are you sure about this?" He asked his twin who looked surprised, staring at him for a few seconds before giving him a kindly smile, "Of course! This is going to be great, I promise." He insisted and None immediately believed him as usual, trusting his twins. "Yeah, you're right." He looked back to the lift and they waited for the lift to return. Yet for a second Nine suddenly wondered if he had made the right decision.

* * *

If one thing was beautiful about the Emptiness it was the areas where nature still thrived. Soon after passing out of the city they entered into a stretch of road that ran along a large green field and a crystal lake that was slightly lower than it was supposed to be. It was quickly agreed to stop there as the noon sun was high and they had been walking for hours. Setting a small camp on the shore of the lake, they rested for a bit. While One was still eager to leave he patiently sat down and let them rest.

He held his young daughter who was more than content to look around for a few minutes before falling back asleep again. Twenty-One was trying to play with his toys in the grass and was having an entertaining time hiding in the reeds. Five and Two were sitting nearby looking at the maps, but they were really chatting and laughing about other things in particular. Eight was still sitting on the edge of the concrete road watching the others protectively while Six sat beside him and drew, preferring drawing on the hard surface than the mud.

Julius had been standing by the twins who were near the edge of the water before heading over to speak to One. Seven was walking along the edge of the water by the twins while Nine sat nearby, Child to his right and None to his left. It was at this point that Three and Four noticed something on the opposite bank. The lake wasn't completely round so it wasn't too far across which was why they noticed it. There was a patch of purple flowers that they wanted to see more of. They immediately turned to Seven and pointed them out, making movements in a way to show fawning.

"Those flowers?" Seven made certain, hoping it wasn't what they wanted, and they nodded. They gestured around the edge of the lake and pointed to themselves and Seven. They wanted Seven to protect them and walk them around the lake to get to the flower patch. "It's a long way around. Are you sure you wouldn't be happy with those?" She pointed to some small white ones in the grass nearby and they looked over interested, but not exactly as pleased with them as the purple ones.

Before they could have a chance to ask more, Seven started to strip off her armor, "I'll go get you one, alright?" They immediately brightened and thanked her with flickering from their optics. Nine and None seemed to notice the scene and the latter offered, "I can go get it!" Seven raised a brow, the twins blinked, and Child asked, "Quite eager to go running for flowers, aren't you?" None flinched at Child's tone and decided not to look at him. "I- Sure! Come on, Nine, let's go." He covered and Nine willingly agreed before standing, "Coming, Child?"

The pale male glanced at None before answering, "No, go on ahead." None looked downwards at the grass and Seven exhaled, "Still, I'm going to head over there as well, maybe we'll meet on the other side." She suggested and suddenly dove into the lake water before immediately having her head pop out to gasp some air and shivering briefly. The twins giggled in whispers before silently inquiring if she was alright to which she waved off, "I should have tested it first, I'm fine." She began to swim over towards the other time, the warm day eventually making the cold water seem less troubling.

None then asked, "Think she'll get there first?" Nine watched her before he finally offered, "Well, we're not going to know unless we get over there." He turned to the short route and began to sprint, his twin soon smiling and following behind him. It was seldom that Nine and None actually had a moment like this, but it was enjoyable. Yet as he was running through the thick grass he started to hear something coming up from behind and realized his twin was already beginning to catch up to him.

He never noted None as particularly fast and started to push himself a bit harder. After all, he was the older technically since he was the ninth, so it only made sense that he would have a slight advantage. Yet as he continued around the loop None was catching up on him. The footsteps were pounding behind him and slowly started edging to the side before coming closer. Nine decided to be mischievous and slowly edged to the side to get in front of his twin, only to suddenly have None dip around from the other side.

Now None and Nine were beside each other and his younger twin gave him a playful smile before suddenly picking up speed. Nine must have looked shock as None looked more confident than usual. That wasn't the only change; Nine himself was suddenly feeling very competitive. His body that felt like it could give no more suddenly got a second wind and he began to push himself a bit harder, gaining lead once again. None playfully slowed down just a little bit to give his older twin a head start and resting slightly so that he could soon overtake him.

The next time he did left the two head to head for a short while, rounding along the edge of the bank before Nine suddenly stumbled. He knew he was falling to the ground and he was willing to take None down with him. He wrapped his arms around his twins' waist and drug him down. Both fell face down into the grass where None promptly turned over and attempted to shove his twin down. The next few seconds was a bizarre wrestling match, but instead of the fierce competitiveness, Nine felt laughter bubbling in his chest.

Every time None got on top he knocked him off, every time Nine had None pinned he was rolled to the side, and in the end the two were just lying in the grass tiredly. "So which of us won?" None asked, too tired to be playful, and Nine promptly suggested, "Maybe we both won at the same time?" To which his twin agreed. They stared upwards into the blissfully blue sky for a few moments, just resting, before Nine sat upwards, "None, you know that if anything was wrong you could tell me, right?"

None stared back; he looked like he wanted to deny but either didn't have the strength or the willpower. "I…" He started slowly, fidgeted a bit, and looked back upwards to the sky. "I know, Nine. I trust you." This promptly gained a smile from the zippered one himself. "Just making sure." None smiled back with a thankful look and Nine laid beside him, "Think Seven made it across by now?" He offered and None shrugged, "I don't think so. It was pretty far across." None nodded before suddenly asking, "Can I ask you something about you and Child?"

The zippered male eventually flinched, "None, I know what you're think and I don't know what Child's told you-…" He cut of mid-ramble when he realized that None had no idea what he was talking about. "Umm… Continue." The younger twin gladly did, "When did you realize that you wanted to be with him in that way? That you wanted him as a mate?" Nine paused before shrugging, "Well, it's a long story, and a little confusing, but it was before I met you and after the Fabrication Machine Incident."

It was going on standard procedure that all of the Stitchpunks were told about the Fabrication Machine Incident so when None didn't look confused it wasn't a surprise. "Back all that time ago I had feelings for Seven, and I thought they were real, but things were different when I met Child. I sort of considered him one of my best friends quickly and I guess I didn't really think of him in that way, or maybe I didn't know I was, because I was pulling him closer and closer and didn't even realize it." He explained with amusement.

"I think if it wasn't for my feelings for Seven I would have realized I cared for Child more than I did. I just thought she was what I wanted, and so I didn't notice it when I started to seek out Child for things like emotional support and relied less on Seven." None responded with, "Child gives emotional support?" To which Nine answered, "He does, a lot of it, except he's upset about something. Like going to Belgium." None chuckled lightly before rolling over, clearly interested, "Did you finally tell him?"

"Not exactly. I was determined to tell Seven I loved her, which of course meant that I went to Child to tell him. I think Five was busy, or maybe I purposely chose Child, but either way Child was clearly upset about the news. He even thought that a gift I made for him was hers and had some sort of an episode. Then he calmed down and helped me figure out what I was going to do; I thought he was in love with Seven too. I thought we were rivaling for her affections when she wasn't even in the equation at all…."

He exhaled a bit and propped himself up slightly before continuing, "So the next day I took Seven out to the Phonograph and decided to state my love for her. Maybe she knew, probably just wasn't interested, but she turned me down. I wasn't upset, I accepted that we would just be friends rather quickly, and the second she left Child appeared." He then looked to None and stated, "He was stalking me, again." None chuckled again at the little joke and Nine continued, "We start talking about nothing in particular and I ask him how he would've fixed the confession."

His breath caught for a second. It was a rather fond memory and thinking back made that same little spark appear again. "Then he kissed me." He inhaled, exhaled, "He told me that he had been pining for me for longer than I had him, since the beginning, and I thought maybe it was wrong, but I couldn't turn him down. I knew everything about him and I knew that I loved every single perk, every flaw, and that I didn't care that he was male. It's different, I won't lie, but it doesn't feel very different…" He trailed off and None sat upwards.

"So even though you knew it would be different, that you knew there was a chance the others might not accept, you stayed together because you really cared about each other?" He asked in almost a desperate fashion and Nine smiled, "Right, but it was worth it, it was worth the risk to be together." This seemed to brighten None considerably and Nine rested a friendly hand on his shoulder, "Let's go. Three and four are waiting." He didn't feel the need to ask anymore about None's problems. He had a small bit of a feeling that he knew what was going on anyway.

The two stood and continued along to the flower patch which wasn't too far ahead. There they sought out Seven, "She still hasn't made it?" Nine asked himself in confusion before None tapped his shoulder and pointed across the lake. There, on the other side, they could both see Seven's form and a bit of purple clutched by one of the twins. There was a moment of silence. "So we didn't beat her?"

* * *

It was so strange how quickly nature could turn to destruction. The days into their journey had been long and hard, but they were finally coming upon something. Unfortunately it wasn't what they expected at all.

"Look at that tree." Six murmured softly and caught the attention of Eight and soon the others. The tree was right on the side of the road and nearly charred completely to ash. "What a wonderful sight to lead us into the city." One spat grumpily as he stared at its gnarled branches. Dead trees weren't uncommon, but this one looked somewhat forewarning. Especially since Six himself had noticed it and he was the one who usually noticed odd things that played a bigger part later on. "Let's just keep going." Seven insisted and put her arms around the twins before leading them down the road.

From the sudden mass of houses it was apparent that they had now entered the city. Though they couldn't see most of it as low walls lined the roads that were already showing wear. Cracks along the concrete, broken cars that were either tipped over or with their bodies completely smashed in, and the building were mostly falling apart. Though nobody felt the need to speak or point this out as there was something looming over them. Only worsened by the fact that the cloudy sky didn't hide that it was growing dark.

"We'll need shelter." One voiced to the others, "Any ideas?" There was a second before Five pulled out his spy glass and began to look in the distance as far as he could. Two, meanwhile, spoke, "Perhaps there's a hotel. They usually have more bulk onto them and have more rooms, which would make them more than adequate for a shelter." One hummed to himself before agreeing with the assumptions. "Yes, perhaps." Two looked back to Five, "You might need to find higher ground to see anything."

"I'll just climb onto the wall. That should be high enough." Five pointed out confidently before looking around, "Can someone- ah- give me a boost?" Eight stepped forward with Nine, though it was clear that Eight was the one who would be really assisting. They headed to a low part of the wall and the Guard cupped a hand under the smaller males' feet and lifted him relatively easily. Five was able to get hand grips on the wall and then was able to climb the rest of the way. He sat down at the top and pulled out his spyglass again before gasping.

"Five?" Nine called to him in confusion and after a few seconds Two called as well, "What did you see? Is there a Beast nearby?" But Five merely looked down, shock still laced on his face, before staring back out. Finally Nine looked to Eight and asked, "Can you help me?" The Guard silently leaned down and lifted him like his friend, balancing him over to the wall and pushing him upwards. The zippered male quickly climbed the rest of the way to the top, beside Five. He looked out immediately and was suddenly thrown into the same silence of horror. Staring out across the city, or what should have been the city.

Instead of buildings the world seemed to erupt in an incredible crater. More feet down than Nine could estimate, nearly as wide around as the factory and lands surrounding it, just a large hole missing out of the earth itself. He couldn't believe this and looked back down to the others, "You have to see this! It looks like there was some sort of explosion!" He called down and immediately they were joined by Seven who managed to climb upwards on his own and Two who got assistance from Eight. "Creator…" Two muttered as he stared out at the catastrophe and Seven asked, "What… What is this?"

Five looked at Two beside him, "Did the Beasts cause this?! It's- the city is completely gone!" Down on the ground Three and Four heard and clasped their hands over their mouths, Julius covered his face with his hand as he shook it gently, and Child was the one to speak with a cynical, "Welcome to Belgium."

* * *

**Mable: Welcome to Belgium; home of the gigantic crater and nearly completely devoid of anything worth saving. Seriously though, Belgium is a lovely country, the reason it got some of the worst is- Well, all humans are dead, so I guess there's not really 'worst' in this situation. Anyway, the next chapter will be posted tomorrow, I hope everyone enjoyed!**


	15. Chapter 15: The Massive Crater

**Mable: Here's chapter fifteen right on schedule! I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

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_**Fabric Runs Shallow**_

_Chapter Fifteen: The Massive Crater _

It took most of the Stitchpunks moving together and shoving their bodies into the rickety wooden door for it to open and reveal the inside of the abandoned hotel. Dust littered everywhere, thick in the carpets and on the windows, but at least it was an adequate shelter. Three pointed out an oil lamp on the nearby desk and Five pulled out his harpoon before the two began to head over in the direction. "Get that door shut again." One instructed Eight who once again began to shove against the door until it close, letting a cracking noise as it did.

"That's not going to hold if a Beast really wants in here." Seven reminded and One pondered this for a second before Julius answered, "There are some stairs over there. Seven, let's see if the second floor is intact enough to house us." She agreed and followed her creator as they headed over to the stairs to check. By this time Five and Three had climbed to the top of the desk using the drawers to climb. They were now lighting the lamp which soon sent a yellow glow over the room. Of course there were more concerns, "Should we shut the curtains?" Nine asked and the others didn't exactly respond.

He didn't blame them as they were wandering around working. He simply grabbed ahold of Child's shoulder before he could follow after Julius and Seven, "Can you help me shut the curtains?" He agreed with a nod and the two headed together to the sofa, climbing onto it and onto the window behind it. The curtains were thick with the same dust and there were moth holes in it. He slowly began to shut the curtain and stared out through the glass at the distant crater in the Earth. He wondered what could have triggered something so catastrophic.

Child shut his side of the curtain and began to shut Nine's while the younger male stood by the glass and stared out at what was outside. He decided not to tell Child about his sudden desire to go explore and instead asked the male about something else, "Do you remember what happened to Belgium?" Child raised a brow and Nine waved it off quickly, "Ah, never mind, I thought you'd know because you were alive during the war."

He managed to cover anything that could offend the pale male who dropped down onto the sofa, sitting down on it and leaning back onto the soft cushions, "There isn't much to say. It's just like I said; Belgium was an immediate target of the Chancellor and was weakened before the true war broke." That was simple enough and Nine believed him, though was still curious, sitting down beside the male and shrugging, "Maybe father would know?" The pale male shrugged as well putting an arm around the younger, holding him close and affectionately as Nine rested his head on his shoulder.

Back on the floor Eight was waiting at the stairs for Julius and Seven to return while watching Six who was peering into a nearby hallway. He had the fight the urge to head over as he knew that his overprotectiveness was becoming obsessive. Yet after everything it seemed Six could spiral out of control so easily, and because of this Eight was afraid to be too far away. At this time Julius and Seven returned looking disappointed. "That didn't take long." Eight remarked and the Warrior shook her head defeated.

"The hallway upstairs has collapsed in on itself. Either we find a way across or we find a better room down here." Julius volunteered his opinion, "With the door shut we are less noticeable. A room down here won't be too dangerous." The Guard silently headed over towards the hallway after Six who was slowly inching down into the darkness. He looked back upon hearing the heavy footsteps and gave the Guard a smile before Eight spoke, "Upstairs is out. Have you heard anything weird from back here?" Six shook his head before the two started wandering together.

There was some sort of awkwardness between them that was interrupted by sounds from a nearby room. Eight tensed at the tapping noise and approached the jarred door, reaching back to somewhat coax Six to stay hidden behind him as he pushed the doorway open more. It looked to be a kitchen with a dirt stove being in clear sight with the rest blocked by the door. The Guard inched in with the knife held high only for Six to whisper, "Eight, its just water." He insisted, but the tapping didn't sound particularly like water.

"Stay back in the hall." He insisted to which the smaller simply looked down at the floor quietly. Meanwhile the larger continued along around the kitchen before slowly coming around the edge of the isle in the center of the room. Looking far onto the other side of the room his hesitance immediately dropped when he noticed the source of the noise. As Six predicted it was dripping water on an overturned pot, making a tapping noise and the Guard sheathed his weapon before circling back to the door.

"How'd you know?" He questioned with what Six swore was suspicion. It actually took him aback and he averted his eyes downwards. "I can see it from here." Eight paused for a few seconds and Six clutched his key before wandering closer, "You're not… Still upset, are you?" The larger raised a brow before lifting his hands, "Hold on, you're the one acting strange. You've been quiet for the last couple of days." Six stared before giving a little smile, "I didn't notice…" His mate exhaled before reaching out, "Are you still thinking about what happened?"

The smaller rubbed his key as he tensed before getting his nerve, "Eight, I had a dream a few days ago and I was thinking that- for the last few days it's been making me think- That we- You- I want…" His voice gave out and Eight reached out to stroke over his yarn, which usually did good in calming him down. Finally Six got the words out, "Eight, I had a dream… About us having a baby." Immediately the hand on his head stilled and Eight just stared at him in a mix of shock and dread. "A what?"

"I was just thinking." Six gave a tiny smile, a shy one, "We're married, we've taken care of Twone and Twelve, couldn't we have one? I… I mean, if you want to…" He wasn't oblivious, he noticed Eight's look of dread and he didn't know whether to be amused or to be filled with dread from the clear denial. "I…" Eight started, "Six, a baby? You sure you're… That we're…?" He gestured to himself and then to Six and the smaller suddenly grew much more amused, "How hard could a baby be? We love it, keep it warm, put it to bed, and then make it bigger."

"Yeah… I don't know." Eight murmured, rubbing his head, "I just don't see us as, you know, kid material." He had to correct himself when Six suddenly had the look of undeniable horror. "We're just not now!" He defended, "Not yet- We're both too- You know, we're us, we can't-." He cut off for good when he heard footsteps and suddenly Five peered into the room, "Oh hey." He greeted and waved before calling back, "Eight and Six are in here. It looks like a kitchen." They could hear Two respond with, "Hmm… Maybe we can find something useful inside."

Eight whispered to Six, "We'll talk about this later." Which Six had a feeling meant that he was trying to dodge the suggestion entirely. He didn't mind it and it wasn't unexpected, but he was somewhat disappointed that he hadn't been able to convince the larger that a baby was a good idea. After all he was beginning to very much enjoy spending time with Twenty-One and Twelve, and he was very much beginning to want a baby of his own. Yet he followed the guard out and trailed behind him as he headed after Five and Two who were now leading an expedition into the hotel.

It wasn't long until Two found a room that he saw as more than adequate. It was a small sitting room with a dusty armchair and a cozy fireplace, but what was most interesting was that it connected to a bedroom that did not have a door into the hallway. Which would mean a few more doors separated them from the outside. "We can stay in here." Two called back behind him to the others before looking around the room. "What do you think, Five?" Five agreed, "Definitely. The twins will like the books… Ah, should I check the room for…?"

Two perked in remembering, "Oh, yes, that would probably be best." He adjusted his bag which released the soft squeak of a disturbed baby, "Here, I'll come with you." He put a hand on the younger's shoulder and they headed in to check the room, both holding their breath. They were relieved to see the little bedroom was clear of bodies. The bed comforter was slightly ruffled but there was nothing that looked threatening. By time they returned to the room the rest of the Stitchpunks were standing in the room.

It didn't take long for them to have started a fire in the fireplace using some leftover wood and soon relaxing around the sitting room. The twins had opened a book between them while the others spoke. "Are we still going to look through the rest of the city?" Nine tested and Two went to answer, "I don't see why not." One made a scoffing noise and Two paused before adding in, "As long as we avoid the obviously missing area of town we'll be safe." One released another scoff and now the Inventor took noticed, "You choked?"

One stood tall and spoke quickly, holding his staff tight as he stood before the fire, "If anything that giant crater is a sign that this was a mistake. Let us leave in the morning and flee back home." He insisted to which Child suddenly spoke, "You all know that my opinion is my own." He reminded the group, "One and I don't always share an opinion, but I agree entirely with him. This place is a 'no man's land'. How could it fall apart this quickly a year or so after the war?" There was a pause before Seven asked, "Wait, how do you know that happened a year after the war?"

Child stared, "Because it is a year after the war. Perhaps two if we stretch." One corrected, "You lost all sense of time in that Machine. It's been years since even the last human lived, and in those years the danger has only grown." Child's face slowly contorted to alarm and One once again addressed the rest. "I will agree that Paris was relatively safe, but this isn't Paris, this is a desolate wasteland filled with freakish Beasts." Suddenly Cat chimed in, "That could offend me." He went virtually ignored before Julius spoke, "If it bothers you that much, One, I don't think anyone would ignore with some conditions."

Seven especially looked hesitant to accept conditions, but One was already pleased because his father had taken his side. "Let's all agree to not go near the crater and we will only stay for a couple of days. Is that alright?" Any complaints were silenced by the fact that he was their father, save Cat who didn't feel the need to disagree. There was a clear agreement and even One quieted to himself. The night went on quietly. That was, until Child bluntly looked over to Nine, "Wait… So how many years has it been?"

* * *

The next morning began abruptly when Twelve started her morning crying. Her voice was tiny and like mere chirps, but managed to awaken most everyone. They were more than willing to get started early except the occasional weary Stitchpunk. The second they got out into the street outside the hotel, shutting the door behind them, the twins overtook the trip from there. The eagerly led the rest of the group through the winding street that seemed to be in a constant slope towards the crater. Nine wouldn't deny that he was interested.

"So it's not as big as the Cathedral, but it should still be here." Five explained to One, trying to pacify the Leader who was in one of his paranoid states, looking around the area repeatedly. "They also want to find some… Chocolate." One paused before Five finished, "It's something that humans eat. There's supposed to be some in Belgium." One then went into a ten minute talk about how it wouldn't possibly still be around. Either way, they soon started heading through the town, eventually finding the church standing before them.

"It's amazing!" None had been the first to speak before adding in, "But... How do we get around that?" Most of the others were stuck gawking at the sight of the church itself with a tank crashed through the front. It was amazing that the building still stood. "Now what?" One asked particularly grumpily and the twins looked incredibly downtrodden at the discovery of the unreachable church. Already their plans were falling apart and Four patted Three on the back reassuringly.

Their pitiful mourning for the loss of their ideal exploration was stunted by Cat speaking, "Does this mean we can't stop for a while? I think I pulled something." He scratched at his side, his claws making an obnoxious grating noise that nearly sounded like it was tearing the threads. "Don't do that." Child instructed, pushing his claws off and feeling over his side, the Beast turned Stitchpunk immediately reacting with light purring to which Child repeated, "Don't do that." However, Cat's words impacted well enough, or at least provoked One.

"Yes, what now? The church, which in nowhere near as grand as our Cathedral, is completely unreachable. I don't suppose we have more planned?" The twins looked nearly devastated at the comment and Seven volunteered, "Let's look for that chocolate. I'm sure we can find some left over. Right, Father?" Everyone looked to Julius who somewhat looked taken aback to be put in the spotlight yet again. He didn't know how to answer and decided to be strategically hopeful, "Well… Perhaps. Chocolate was common in sealed rations so it would seem to be possible."

"Then we'll start looking for those!" None chimed back in and rested a hand on Four's opposite shoulder, "Lead the way, you two!" The twins beamed at the suggestion and started to coax the others around yet again. While nobody was sure if the twins actually knew where they were going. They finally found a shop with a sign that read 'Chocolat' in the window, to which they assumed it was a different spelling of chocolate. They fiddled with a way inside while Nine stared out at the crater again. Now it was much closer and the road towards it fell with a steady decline before an abrupt one.

He wandered over by the street sign that stood at the top of the slope and stared out towards it. After a few seconds he heard Child wander beside him, knowing it was the male when he felt a hand on his lower back, caressing the bottom of his '9'. "Looking at that crater again?" Nine exhaled and nodded, "I just haven't seen anything like it. It's a giant hole in the ground! The world had literally been blown to pieces and the city is literally gone from existence! How does something like that happen?" He asked and Child stared out before answering.

"The humans' foolish belief of the Machine was the answer to their strife was what caused this. They nursed from the weeping bosom of the machine looking for nutrients to feed their future. They were too intoxicated by their beliefs that they didn't once taste the metallic oil that was overtaking them. Only meant to feed the growing population of machines and not to soothe the humans. Did they even taste when the oil was traded with the poison? Did they even care? Perhaps by then they had been desensitized to even that."

A few seconds passed before Child asked, "Did you understand any of that?" Nine looked over for a few seconds before answering, "As much as I… Would expect to." Child suddenly relaxed, "That's a good thing. That had to be the most disturbing thing I have ever said." He shivered, "If I ever go on about weeping bos- about _that _again then please kill me." He was obviously not serious and Nine chuckled before putting an arm around his shoulders, "Let's just get back to the others, okay? I think they got inside."

Sure enough Eight had went to pry open part of the glass window and shattered it, but left an opening for them to go into. As they climbed in Nine pulled back, "I'm going to go see Five about where we're off to after this. Why don't you check on Cat?" Child looked confused and Nine pointed over to Cat who was scratching his side again. He was wincing as he drug his sharp fingers through the thick fabric that made his exterior. Seven didn't notice as he was helping Two adjust his bag so it was Child's place to fix it.

"Yes, thank you for warning me. The last thing I want to do is spend my day stitching him closed." He pecked Nine's cheek and headed after Cat, looking weary, while Nine suddenly turned and headed straight to Five. The male was with the twins and he grabbed his arm to capture his attention, "Five, I need your help with something." As he started to lead Five away the one eyed male waved to the two females and quickly told the small spider Beast tailing to stay with them before speaking, "Sure, Nine…" He was uncertain why Nine was acting so odd and dragging him so far out of view. "What do you need?"

Nine stopped beside the sign once again and looked back to make sure the others weren't paying attention before looking back to Five, "Five… I need you to come with me." Five blinked, "Where are you going? Back to the hotel?" The zippered male shook his head, "No." He then silently stared out over the city, "I'm going to the Crater."

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**Mable: Geez, so my plan to update earlier failed completely… *sigh* Well, there's always tomorrow, right? Right. I'll try to update much quicker tomorrow. I hope everyone enjoyed!**


	16. Chapter 16: The Incoming Threat

**Mable: Here's the new chapter and- Oh, YES! Finally I've gotten a chapter posted before eleven! This is my goal, as pitiful as it seems, to get chapters up at a quicker rate. Or, at least, not as late at night, but this is really my good editing hour when it comes down to it. Anyway, I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

* * *

_**Fabric Runs Shallow**_

_Chapter Sixteen: The Incoming Threat_

"Nine, maybe this isn't a good idea." The Healer's words fell on deaf ears as Nine continued towards the crater while heading down the ever steepening hill. One wrong move and he would tumble down the slope, but he was careful and so was Five who was sluggishly falling behind. It was obvious that he didn't want to go with Nine and yet something dragged him onwards. Most likely the fear to leave Nine alone out in the unfamiliar atmosphere. After all, Five had the only map, and Nine would need that to return back to the hotel.

As he stepped and slowly headed down through a section of cement tubing he reveled in the adventure, of the exploration of the event. "What do you think this was for?" He asked his friend as he hurried down and stepped out at the end. Five followed down somewhat hesitantly, "Ah... Well… I'm not sure." He admitted, "Whatever it is, it doesn't just look broken, it looks unfinished. Maybe they were building something?" His best friend agreed with him as the continued on to a slope of small rocks.

Nine started to inch down, but soon lost his grip and slid the rest of the way to a wooden wall at the bottom. The wall looked like something that had come off of a house and wasn't too interesting. That was, until he noticed some sort of weird swishing noise nearby, blinking in confusion as he leaned against the wooden wall. Of course his hearing was obscured as Five plummeted down the hill behind him. "Do you hear that?" The zippered male asked quickly and Five blinked as the younger one listened closer. Yet to his surprise the noise had seemed to dissipate a bit.

"Never mind." He responding, assuming the noise had been Five as he began to look for a way through. Five found a crack and the two managed to squeeze through once at a time to get to the rest of the Emptiness beyond it. It was at this time that the noises started again. "Is that it?" Five asked quietly and Nine nodded, but said nothing. Silently they continued through the wreck of the large house. It was beyond what they would see in the Emptiness; it was obliterated like a dollhouse that was crushed under too much weight.

The noises were getting louder and as Nine thrust himself around a corner of dilapidation he finally caught a glimpse of a long, winding tail trailing through the rubble of the house remains. The zippered male covered a gasp and jumped back behind the wooden beam beside Five. "Don't move." He whispered under his breath to the Healer who looked questioning. "What is it?" He mulled the courage to ask and Nine peeked around again, "Seamstress, just slid by." He pointed ahead, "We'll head over to those glass shards, it might be afraid of ripping its fabric."

He then started ahead, crouching low to the ground and moving as quickly as possible. Five followed behind, but was obviously hesitant. "Nine, we need to head back." He insisted, but Nine was adamant. "Alright, let's just get to the edge of the crater, look in, and then we'll head back. We won't go down into it or anything." Five still seemed hesitant but continued as he knew how close it was supposed to be. Yet the sound of a nearby Seamstress could still be heard as it circled around.

It was at this time that Nine saw the edge of the crater where a large piece of farming machinery rested and teetered on the edge. Standing beside it Nine stared out at the crater with wonder lacing his gaze. Yet as he did he noticed something strange. The bottom of the crater was filled with rubble and destroyed machines, and Nine could clearly detect movement amongst them. "What is that?" He asked before looking to Five, "Can I use your spyglass?" The Healer immediately handed it over and Nine raised it to his optic before looking out across the crater.

"There's…" He murmured lowly as he saw what the movement was. In the depths of the rubble were bits of fabric moving about, circling around, appearing and vanishing beneath as the serpent body wriggled its way through. There were Seamstresses moving through the rubble, maybe even dozens of them. "There's… There's Seamstresses…" Nine admitted as the spyglass slipped from his grasp. Five lunged forward and grabbed it before it manage to hit the ground before looking as well and gasping, "It's a nest! There's an entire nest of- Oh no…"

The two stood there for a few seconds before Five looked to Nine in questioning and the latter quickly admitted, "Five, I made a horrible mistake." The buttoned one grabbed his arm, "Let's fix it right now and run!" As the two turned back they froze as they noticed that they weren't alone. About three foot away stood a poorly made doll that resembled a Stitchpunk that just happened to have a serpent body trailing beneath it. It was a Seamstress' tail, but had different eyes that usual as they weren't Stitchpunk-like.

Still they began to flicker and both Stitchpunks looked away. Nine looked down and blocked with his hand while Five closed his optic and grabbed for his harpoon. Aiming without looking he made the closest judgment and fired, lodging into the side of the doll. The noise of the flashing stopped and Five rapidly reloaded before aiming and firing after he glanced upwards for a second. The needle pierced between the tail's doll's eyes and caused it to limply fling back while the Seamstress released a strange shriek.

At first Nine didn't understand why a Seamstress would randomly begin to wail as loudly as it could until he heard noises behind him. The nest in the crater suddenly went wild with movement and he knew that the Seamstresses were coming after them. Nine took off away from the crater, back towards the hotel with Five in tow. Circling back through the destructive mess they had just wound through they knew that the Beasts were seeking them out, being led by the closest that was right on their heels.

It was then that the wooden wall came back into view and they ducked through the small crack. "That should slow it down!" Nine whispered quickly before climbing the gravel covered slope, occasionally sliding down and being shoved back upwards by Five. They reached the cement tube and hurried through, continuing onwards, desperately, making in back across the narrow trench and back to the top of the street where they faced the Chocolate shop. Five immediately dashed forward and peered through a crack in the dilapidated door.

"They're not here!" He called back and Nine was feeling just as paranoid as he looked back towards the dropping street. He could just imagine one of the Seamstress heads appearing and suddenly called over, "Forget the shop! Let's just get back to the hotel!" He started to sprint down the street, Five beside him, both running madly as their footsteps echoed off of the concrete road beneath them. All the Nine could hear was his pounding pulse in his audio receptors and Five occasionally murmuring, "Do you hear that? Is that something behind us? Do you think they could have cut us off?"

They hurried further onwards, not remembering which way they were going and completely confused, knowing they were being followed.

* * *

It was a quiet evening and the Stitchpunk were now calming down from a simple day exploring the Emptiness. Halfway through their trip exploring the nearby homes Nine and Five vanished from the group and they were still trying to figure out where they had been. Seven was perched on the couch while the others were gathered around what they had brought back, spear poised and waiting somewhat anxiously for Nine and Five to return. She wouldn't admit that perhaps this was how One felt when she was out.

It was around this time when Cat appeared behind her as usual. He tended to do this, cuddling her from behind, and her allowing him to do so because it calmed him down. Besides there wasn't much of a point trying to get him off as he would just come back persistent as ever. His helmet was pressed back and his face nuzzled into the back of her neck affectionately. Seven would admit that it was endearing that even as a Stitchpunk Cat still craved the affection as a Beast, and as her responsibility she was glad to keep him happy.

Then she suddenly was taken aback when his mouth latched on the back of her neck, a purr rolled from his chest, and then bit down upon it. The sudden sharp feeling caused Seven to jump and out of reflex she slung back her elbow and hit him as hard as possible. At that second he released her and pitifully fell over, clutching his side which was already sore from the surgery. She stared at him for a few seconds nursing his wound before reached out and petting his arm to show no hard feelings, then looked back at the others.

"Are you sure this is still going to be… edible?" One asked unsurely as he stared at the torn open packet with the cans and packages inside. One of which Two was looking over, "Now we're not really going to eat it like humans, so it should be alright. Eight, if you may." He gestured to the can and Eight unsheathed his knife. As Twelve was nearby in Six's arms they didn't worry too much about wielding the giant knife nearby. Recently Two had been quite jumpy with the baby so it was nice to have normal Two back.

Eight started to plunge the knife down and managed to plunge it through the metal top. He slowly sawed around to open the can before stopping, "What's that smell?" He asked plainly and the twins who was been standing nearby now took a step back and covered their mouths. "Congratulations, Two, you finally found what really killed the humans." Child remarked before pulling his hood to cover his mouth and scent receptor. Everyone was in agreement with the awful odor, but Two was still interested and started to wedge the can's lid upwards.

The smell was atrocious and even Two looked a bit lightheaded as he looked in and coughed, "It is rather pungent." He took a burned out matchstick that he had been saving and poked at the gelatinous substance. "It looks like it's organic. Some sort of potted meat, but I am definitely sure that it has expired." He poked at the substance, "Three, Four, come look at this. This is preserved meat which humans needed for protein. Humans got this from eating the flesh of animals that they farmed, which you already known, and canned it when preserved."

They looked in, but were only willing to watch Two poke at it with the stick and wouldn't touch it themselves. He then stepped back, "I think we're done with this one." Immediately 8 bent the can lid closed and lifted it before carrying it off, "Where should I dump this?" Before One could speak, Six suddenly called, "Put it in the pot in the kitchen under the dripping water. Maybe it'll drown out the smell." One wasn't used to Six speaking out, even though his confidence with Eight was growing, but to speak over him was nearly mortifying.

It was only worse when One looked back to see Six nuzzling little Twelve on her front, causing the baby to make a few light noises of surprise. Suddenly One felt just a slight bit wronged, but this was interrupted when Two poked him with the matchstick. "Help me open this next one?" The Leader shielded himself, "Don't you dare touch me with that after you shoved it into a slab of old meat." The Inventor gave a smile, though it almost looked smug, "This is the opposite side, One. I wouldn't dare pat you with a pat of meat."

He now turned to the next package, a sealed jar that was tinted too dark to see through. He tilted it over and attempted to unscrew it and when he couldn't One had to assist him. The only reason One even thought of helping was because he saw that look on Six's face that showed he was about to volunteer. The Leader and the Inventor managed to unscrew the jar and little, dried grains spilled out onto the floor. Two immediately kneeled down and lifted a brown grain, "Now what might this be?"

"That would be rice!" Julius called from across the room with Twenty-One, heading over to them while the Stitchpup watched half-curiously. "Now that is still good even after this time." One looked down amongst the mound of grains before daring to lift one, "Even with it being this dried out and firm? What being could get anything nourishing from this, something so inedible appearing?" Julius smiled at his son's comment, "This is what we should've put in the pot. When it is boiled it becomes swollen and edible. With proper spices, it would be delicious."

The others seemed to trust his words and the twins moved in before beginning to grab some of the grains. None approached and unzipped himself, "Here, I can carry it and we can take it home with us." Perhaps the twins took advantage of his generosity. Four handed rice to Three, coyly shielding her optics from looking at None's front, and Three dumped handful after handful of rice inside of None until he became swollen with it, poking his metal interiors and making it harder for him to move.

"Now then. Let's see-." Two was interrupted by the sound of the sitting room door suddenly being shoved open. Nine and Five hurried in and shut the door behind them quickly, panting tiredly, and immediately Twenty-One decided to approach. "Hi!" He cried as he hurried over to them. Nine and Five were very flustered and terrified of what could be coming so they were unsure how to approach the others. "Five, pick up!" Twenty-One exclaimed happily as he reached upwards to the one eyed male. Five was shaky and tried to dismiss him. "Ah, Twenty-One, not now."

But the little one was stubborn and as Nine headed over to the others he continued to press. "Five," He drew out, "Up! Up!" He reached upwards as high as he could as Five insisted, "Twenty-One, I can't- this isn't a good-alright." With a sigh he reached down and hoisted the Stitchpup into his arms while Nine called back, "Make sure to move him away from the door." It only took seconds for the others to notice his behavior was slightly strange and Two turned away from his findings and faced the younger male, "Where have you been all afternoon?"

"Lost." Nine explained, "We got lost on the way back." As he passed Child the male muttered a clearly annoyed, "You went to that Crater, didn't you?" As everyone was watching it wasn't like a sudden dismissal would get him out of the question. So Nine was blunt, "I did." One immediately was upon him, storming forward, "You did what?!" His optics were ablaze with anger and his staff banged into the ground loudly, "Out of the goodness of my heart I was willing to give you only a single request and you could not even do that?!"

"I know it was a mistake!" Nine interrupted, "It was foolish, I know it was foolish, I made a terrible mistake." Child caught on and let his arms drop as he mentally tried to decipher Nine's meaning while One wasn't willing to silence himself. "Yet you still did it! You know it was foolish and yet you went out there, got yourself lost, and you are going to listen to me!" Right then Twenty-One suddenly spoke, voice quiet with fear. "Daddy…" It was seldom for Twenty-One to be frightened from arguing. It would make him uncomfortable, but he seemed to know it wasn't angled to him.

"Not right now, Little One." One quickly spoke while managing to calm his voice for a split second before raising it again, "The nerve you have, Nine, I cannot believe! To dismiss your family to-!" That's when Five spoke, his voice frantic, "Yes, right now!" One was prepared to tell Five off as well, after all he was gone too, but as One and Nine looked over towards the door they noticed that Five and Twenty-One were both looking terrified. They were staring straight at the door and upon going quiet the others could hear the sound of banging from the hotel room door.

"What was that terrible mistake you mentioned?" Child quietly asked as Nine's optics widened in alarm, "The Crater was filled with Seamstresses. A dozen or so." Child did a double take, "What?" he asked in a low, abrupt question and Nine subconsciously steeped back. "There was some sort of nest. We thought we lost them after we got lost…" There was a sudden gasp from Seven on the couch who now stood, looking to the window over it with her spear held tight, "Something just went by the window."

"If it's a Seamstress then we're all dead." Cat casually remarked, rolling off of the couch and dropping to the floor. The Warrior remarked quickly, "I admire your optimism." The banging on what they assumed was on the hotel's front door grew louder and One stepped back towards Eight who was immediately going into his guarding state. "You led them back." One whispered lowly enough that nothing outside could hear as Five scurried over to Two, all of the Stitchpunks huddling in. "What do we do?" He questioned his mentor, "If they're all out there…"

"Into the bedroom." Two insisted as he took Twenty-One and Twelve, securing the latter's carrier on his arm before explaining directly to One, as to calm the Leader, "We'll hide in the bedroom and perhaps they'll leave. If you didn't see them that close then perhaps they don't know exactly where we are." The Leader gave a quick nod and put an arm around to shield the shorter before leading him into the other room. The rest followed suite, no arguments. They were very aware that they couldn't take on more than perhaps two Seamstresses, and there was no denying that there was more.

As the room door was shut there was a cracking noise through the wall to the foyer. One of them had gotten inside, or perhaps more, and the Stitchpunks all sought out a place to hide. Eight hopped behind the short, iron grate of the fireplace and waited. It wasn't much of a hiding spot, but there was no doubt that he planned to jump out and strike. One, Two, the little children, and Five hid behind the dresser in the room, tightly packed in. Two used his brief time to try and calm his children, but remarkably they stayed quiet.

Twelve obviously wanted to cry, but the second the loud noise echoed from the other room again she went completely silent, optics wide with dread, staying completely quiet. Two assumed it was a reflex for young pups to keep quiet as Twenty-One was also doing it without being instructed. But instead of sitting there fearfully like his newborn sister he clutched his Papa desperately. One shielded the three with his cape and staff; he was just as frightened, but no longer for himself. Five stood nearby with his harpoon poised and ready, Julius beside him.

Because they were following Child; Nine, None, and Cat got stuck in a half broken vase laying on the ground. If ducking under and hiding inside it was still only a reasonably good hiding place and barely held all four of them. The twins were hiding under the bed watching the door. Seven was hiding underneath a small table in the corner behind the single leg, waiting for the door to be broken open, Six huddling behind her cautiously. Eight was the one the most ready, holding his knife tightly as he stared at the door, waiting, watching, ready to face his greatest foe.

* * *

**Mable: Tomorrow's chapter will actually get down to business. This time we're just looking at some old meat and poking it with a stick. Well, we all knew Two was curious. ^-^ Really, though, after all those years it seems like rice would be the only thing that managed to make it through, you know? Or maybe I'm wrong and rambling. That could be too. Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed, see you tomorrow!**


	17. Chapter 17: The Overwhelming Stitches

**Mable: So we left off last time with Nine and Five returning back to the hideout with the others with Seamstress' on their tail. Now we open back with them waiting for the Beasts… I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

* * *

_**Fabric Runs Shallow**_

_Chapter Seventeen: The Overwhelming Stitches_

It was only at that moment did they hear the light scratching at the window, followed by the abrupt shattering of glass. They weren't sure how they broke the window, but three Seamstress Beasts filed in, one waiting in the window. Though Eight, who was the closest, noticed something was wrong with them. The one at the window was the only one with a tail that resembled a Stitchpunk. One of the others had something that partially resembled a metal frame of a tail, but it was unfinished.

Unfinished was the correct way to describe them. One had a bulged center and a stout body with a cracked head while the final one had fabric that looked much too patched for its own good. They were still just as determined and began to circle around to look for the two Stitchpunks. Eight realized quickly that these Seamstress Beasts were dangerous, but not as dangerous as the ones they had come in contact with in the past. With that he prepared himself to strike, watching the one in the window that seemed too interested in where Seven and Six were hiding for his liking.

"Nine, look out and see if they're still out there." Cat whispered to the zippered male while Child challenged him bluntly, and flatly as he didn't expect anyone else to agree with an idea that foolish, "That is a terrible idea." Of course, right afterwards Nine poked his head out for a split second and Child reacted by dropping his head against the ceramic wall over-dramatically. "They're looking for us." Nine alerted as he watched them slither around. The stout one heading in front of the fire place, "There's one near Eight and…"

His voice caught as one suddenly slid under the bed, "One's under the bed! I think it found the twins!" At this moment he suddenly felt something thump against his back and caught a glimpse of a familiar blade. "Child, wait!" to which a voice came from behind him, "Guess again." Nine did a double take and gasped as he realized it was his twin and scrambled out after him. None was lucky not to get caught by the stout Seamstress, but Eight saw the other Stitchpunk and took it as a signal to attack, even if for the worst.

By time Seven appeared it was becoming a war. The stout and patched Seamstresses had taken to the three drawing rusty scissors and somewhat bent knives to attack. None managed to get to the bed and peered under just in time to see the current scene. Three and Four were trapped into the corner with the former blocking the latter from view while the Seamstress was aiming its tail at them. It's incomplete tail still functioned and soon Three was put under a spell, staring plainly as her twin shook her desperately and tried to pull her away. The Seamstress began to move in, but None rushed forwards and brought the blade into the side of its tail.

The Seamstress shrieked and turned on him as he tried to keep tearing its side open, "Four, take Three and run!" he then released a short cry as he was pinned down by the Seamstress' arm, pinch by the double digits made more to sew than to grab something. Then a needle slipped through his fabric and he winced at the sharp pain. Another stitch, then another, and soon he was pulled into the Seamstress' grip, blade tugged and dropped out of reach, and began to be stitched completely. Four watched in horror as the tail was now used on him as well.

"Four…! Run…" His words faded as his optics widened and the young twin couldn't muster the ability to run away. Instead she tried to run forward, grabbing the blade off of the ground and trying to stab at the side like he had. The Seamstress batted her away with its tail, flinging her out from under the bed and halfway across the room. It was one of the few times that Four had been outright attacked and she was disoriented as she pushed herself upwards. Unfortunately just in time to see the stout Seamstress before her.

She gaped silently and tried to scuttle back as it gained. Thankfully Seven came to her aid, unafraid of a Seamstress that could barely move. She began to steadily circle it and prod the fabric wherever she could as the slow Beast turned its attention towards her. Four stepped back until suddenly a hand was on her shoulder and she looked back to see Nine behind her, "Where's None?!" He asked and she looked towards the bed. Her hands went over her mouth in alarm as the Seamstress appeared, tucking her twin into its insides, and then started to climb the bedding to get to the window again.

She pointed and Nine realized exactly where the male was. Looking around he noticed Five had appeared. "Five!" He called across the room and then repeatedly pointed to the window to explain. Five noticed the lone twin and was immediately ready to act. Grabbing out a grappling hook of tied together fishhooks he plunged it into his harpoon and shot, planning to catch the Seamstress. It moved so fast that it only caught the skeletal tail, but that was enough as he held onto the rope, "Help me! We can't let it get to the nest!"

He was abruptly joined by Two who appeared from behind the dresser and clutched to the rope as well. "She can't drag all of us!" Nine soon joined them, and Four, but the Seamstress was climbing to the window where the fourth had already fled. It was obvious why, though. Eight and Seven had taken out the stout Seamstress and were now ganging together on the patched one. Now they were joined with Cat who bared his claws and dashed in and Six who began running back in for from the vase, physically carrying broken shards and then throwing them telekinetically.

The second Seamstress fell and they hurried over, only to be too late. The Seamstress overpowered the Stitchpunks and with a yank pulled the rope out of most of their hands, sending them to fall on the floor. Five still held as he was dragged across the floor and onto the bed. He was moving quickly and Nine called, "Five, let go!" To which Seven immediately countered, "No, Five, don't! Tie it off on the window handle!" This was a new idea and as Five was slowly lifted to the window Seven hurried over after him before starting to climb the curtains.

Nine started afterwards with Child behind him only to stop his mate, "There's more than these four out there! Stay back here and watch the others!" The pale male looked somewhat hesitant, but silently agreed and watched as Nine hurried to the window. Yet Nine was still tailed, this time by Four who was desperate to help. "Four, it's okay, we'll save them!" He called to her but unlike Child she plainly disobeyed and continued after him. The remaining Stitchpunks were somewhat unsure what to do.

Five finally was pulled to the window and got a few seconds of slack as the Seamstress lowered itself to the ground below. It wasn't a far drop as the street raised unnaturally high on that side of the building, leaving only about a foot to climb down, but it was clearly taking care with itself. Five tied the thread rope to the handle on the inside of the lower window frame as tightly as possible. Then, after that, he looked over the edge and watched as the Seamstress straightened and went to hurry off.

He suddenly realized what Seven was going to do as he remembered the last time the female had slid down a rope to ambush a Seamstress. Somewhat unsure but knowing he needed to stop the Beast he held onto his Harpoon which he rested on the thread and began to slide down the not yet taunt rope. By time he got to the end was when the rope tightened, but that's when the Seamstress felt him fully, and turned to face him. But Five was quick and dropped to the ground, quick to recover and shove a new needle in the chamber.

Seven slid down as well, deciding to go straight to the Seamstress instead of dropping down like Five had, throwing herself at its serpent body to distract it. Five, meanwhile, started to fire towards the tail that was beginning to twitch again the thread, yanking it tight. Upwards on the window Nine and Four were standing on the edge but as they were there they noticed the rope beginning to slip. Nine tried to tighten it, but was failing, and suddenly Eight bellowed, "Get off the window, quick!" Alarmed, Nine grabbed Four and jumped onto the rope, holding on with one hand as he started to slide down.

He understood what happened the second the window abruptly shut. Six used his telekinesis again and now with the window on the rope it could slip no longer. Though the new problem arose when the Seamstress began to flail, causing the thread to jolt and nearly flinging Nine and Four off. The twin lost grip on his free hand and slid down his legs and to his feet where she now held on as he used the now free hand to raise to the rope, trying to work them down to get closer to the ground.

A sharp cracking noise erupted as Five took out one of the Seamstress' tail's eye-like bulbs with a needle, then the other with another. The Seamstress was trying to focus on Seven and got ahold of her ankle. As it clamped its scissors onto the metal part she hooked her spear into part of its tube body, hoping it would stop it from yanking her back. It was just as determined and as it pulled her closer the blade cut open it's interior. Oddly enough it didn't seem able to feel this. Almost as though part of its body was numb.

Nine noticed the gaping opening and could catch a glimpse of a foot peeking out. He knew he had to get closer and continued to hurry down, calling to Four, "We don't have much time! If we don't get them out now they'll be taken to the crater and we won't get them at all!" Four nodded in understanding and Nine continued to lower them down. Five's new target became the Seamstress' face in an attempt to stop it from stitching Seven who it was now holding down against the concrete.

Inside the hotel, One took charge, "We'll head out through the front. With all of that noise as a distraction we can ambush them as they did to us!" There was a round of agreement and the remaining members of the group headed towards the front. Eight leading, Child behind him, Cat near both, and with the remaining protecting Julius who took the young ones so that two could take up his lance once again, letting it unfold and preparing himself for a fight. Six lagged because he noticed that the Training Beasts were unmoving from their past position, yet slowly continued on.

Eight wedged the bedroom door open and looked into the sitting room before dashing through and doing the same thing. After staring out of the sitting room into the hall he abruptly reared back, "Creator!" He called out in disturbance and now Two looked out to be equally disturbed. There was a fifth Seamstress waiting in the hall, but unlike the others it lacked most of its fabric from its middle and upwards, revealing its intricate inner metals. "What's going on in that Crater?!" Eight questioned in alarm before running forward, noticing that this one also lacked a completed tail.

Two tried to stop him, but Eight was determined, and raised his blade. Unfortunately for him the Seamstress looked a lot less threatening than it was. Its scissors were larger and sharpened clean of any debris. They caught his knife and there was a tug of war that if he lost he knew he'd be impaled by. Thankfully Two was quick even though he wasn't professionally skilled in fighting, and swung his lance around and into the metal frame of the Seamstress which visibly flinched. It was still strong, but much more vulnerable.

Even though Child or Cat should have known the most about the current Beast, both Eight and Two had intimate experience, and it was clearly obvious that the two wanted to finish it off. Not that Cat wanted to get in a fray when he was still limping. Child himself noticed that One was watching Two with a look of admiration that he hadn't seen before. It was a wonder that the Leader didn't seem to have any more. It was Eight's blow that crippled the Beast, but two finished it by putting his lance into the back of its neck, ending it quickly and efficiently.

"Hurry!" Two called back to the others, and they had a right to hurry. Outside things were growing more unsteady. The Seamstress had pinned Seven and was now trying to go for Five while an unnoticed Nine and Four got down from the rope. Four was actually keen on not getting spotted and Nine followed her lead as she got closer to the numb section of the Beasts back and eventually stepped onto it. The reached into the belly of the beast and pulled free Three, who was further down and no longer unconscious, and Nine instructed Four to drag her twin away while he saved his.

None was farther in, so far that Nine had to climb inside and was thoroughly disturbed at the long body. It flexed around them both as the Seamstress contorted and moved and wasn't as dark as Nine expected. If anything, it was quite clear to see through even in the dimness of the evening light. He got ahold of the threads holding his twin and began to drag him out. None was awake as well, but his mouth was stitched shut so he couldn't speak more than low hums, and as Nine drug him out the Seamstress apparently felt the difference in weight.

He fell back against the concrete, None upon him, and the Seamstress looking down at them. It still pinned Seven some ways away so she was still unable to assist. Then suddenly, as though out of nowhere, thudding footsteps echoed across the ground and Eight appeared, bringing his knife onto the Seamstress as a war began. Nine took this time to drag None over to where the twins were and where Four was using a piece of broken glass to cut her twin free. Before Nine could get his own shard, Four was on None as well, cutting his thread until he was completely unbound.

They only partially noticed when the Seamstress was defeated and noticed more so when Two suddenly appeared with his lance. "Is he alright?" He asked, noticing that None was still sluggish and Nine looked to him worriedly. Nine unzipped his twin to see the damage, "None, it's going to be okay." The second he was open out spilled a river of rice grains that the older twin stared at silently. Then he added in with, "…What exactly did the Seamstress do to you?" when Two burst into a fit of laughter he realized that everything was alright.

Five hurried over and did a brief check of None before taking Three into his arms while the others headed over. Child approached first and kneeled beside Nine, "Are you okay?" He directed to him and the zippered male blinked, "I'm fine. It was None who was taken." Child purposely tried to rattle the other, "I'm aware of that. You just tend to get yourself into trouble when trying to help." He followed this with an amused smirk while Nine was less than impressed. The only Stitchpunk less impressed than him was One, who did a headcount.

"Who are we missing?" He asked before noticing Six some way away, "Don't fall behind, Six, those things may return." The striped one looked downwards at the ground in embarrassment, "I was waiting for Paint and the others." This seemed to catch One's attention who added in, "On the subject; why didn't they do anything to assist us?" He obviously wanted someone to blame and couldn't continue to blame Nine and Five as he had already done his proper scolding. "We have been keeping those things to assist us and yet they hid in the back the entire time."

Five was the one to defend, though did so quietly and simply while he held Three close, "Pet and Toto were afraid that Paint and Button would get hurt." The younger female nodded while Child added in, "Even though you cannot tell, because you judge all Beasts the same, Paint and Button are both still adolescents, and until they are adults Pet and Toto will feel the need to protect them first." One scoffed in response, "Just wonderful! A reason for them to do little other than cower over their young."

Seven released a small noise that was almost like a scoff but was somewhat both annoyed and amused, "Careful, One, you're edging in on hypocrite territory there." He sputtered and was about to erupt when Cat suddenly spoke, "Sorry to interrupt this… Whatever this is that keeps happening." He pointed out, "But we've still got a problem. One that's sliding back towards its next as quick as possible." The others perked; Cat was right, the fifth Seamstress had escaped, the one that Nine and Five had encountered previously.

"We need to attack the source." Eight suddenly announced, as though he was leader. "There's probably a ton of them waiting in that Crater and they're going to get to us before we can get out of town." One agreed with his Guard, "Yes, but how? We have limited resources." There was a pause before Nine spoke, "Wait. We do have something." He stood and turned to the others, "On the edge of the Crater is a large machine. A human driven machine, not a sentient one, and it's so close that if we could get it into the crater we could do some damage."

"Yes, of course!" Five added in, "It might have gasoline or oil in it! We could cause an explosion or maybe get it running." The others seemed to relatively agree, even if there was some hesitance. "If we leave now we can get out of the city." Julius offered, clearly not enjoying all of the fighting with the Beasts, but Nine was insistent, "But they might have our trail. I'm sorry, Father. We have to do this." He caved and nodded, but Two was quick, "But Father perhaps you should wait here for us to return. Someone needs to watch Twenty-One and Twelve."

Nine agreed and looked to None, "You too. The Seamstress' gaze hasn't worn off yet." None didn't argue and Six volunteered, "I can stay with them too. Maybe I could help if they come back." Eight raised a brow, but didn't ask, "Alright, Babe. We're counting on you because dad's juggling kids and None's… We're counting on you." The Artist smiled a little at the comment and Two took leadership, suddenly realizing that he liked this more adventurous approach on his part, "Well then. Nine, Five, lead the way. Onwards we go!"

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**Mable: I think I like this recap in the beginning Author's Note. Not that anyone will need me to obsessively remind them, but I may help me keep track better! Anyway, next chapter posted tomorrow, I hope everyone enjoyed!**


	18. Chapter 18: The Abrupt Retreat

**Mable: Okay, I was massively rushing to meet this deadline, I am not kidding. I only got by barely. Anyway, a recap: After saving None and Three from the Seamstress the Stitchpunks have decided to attack the Seamstress nest. I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

* * *

_**Fabric Runs Shallow**_

_Chapter Eighteen: The Abrupt Retreat_

There were signs of the Seamstress everywhere. Dragging marks in the gravel, scraps of fabric on the jutting glass, but the most obvious sign was when the Stitchpunks approached the Crater which was erupting with noise. The screeches of dozens of Seamstress Beasts were deafening in the darkness as night continued to fell. Nine's Lightstaff was the only light remaining and allowed. He pointed out the looming hunk of machinery, "That's it." He whispered and Two spoke, "Excellent, but let's not get too comfortable."

He turned to the others, "Five and Nine, you two check the gas. Child and I will check to see if it will still function." They agreed and hurried out, leaving the others behind to wait. As Two and Child climbed onto the front they used the latter's blade to open the front and looked inside, a match guiding their way. "That battery may need a boost," Two pointed out, "But the rest looks well." Child silently agreed before they were interrupted by a dripping noise from underneath the Machine and climbed down.

As it was tilted somewhat, when Nine and Five got the gas cap open a little began draining out, showing that it was overly full. Two was quick to blow out his match and approach them, "So the gas is filled. Excellent." Two beamed to which Five disagreed, "Yeah, but there's something wrong. There's something making the gas a weird consistency, and I don't think it's age." Child approached and reached out to the slow stream, taking a small taste while Nine and Five stared in confusion. "There's sugar in it." Child explained, "It was sabotaged years ago."

While the others didn't understand, Two did, "Drat! And it was an excellent plan as well!" To this Nine asked, "Won't it still work? What's wrong with sugar in the gas?" Child tasted more of the gas as Two explained, "When sugar gets into gas in damages the machine that the gas is run through. Which of course means that working the machine is out of the question." This was discouraging, but Child spoke, "But that doesn't mean that the gas isn't useful for other things. It's still just as flammable." He insisted, tasting the gas again, "It may have oil inside as well."

"Then we'll have to get the machinery down the slope another way. I guess we could always push it over, but it's awfully heavy." Five murmured for a few seconds before Two perked, "Five, you are a genius!" When met with confusion he explained, "There's a steep slope to the nest and we're on the edge. If was can get it over the edge the weight will drag it down. Now about pushing it over…" Inspired by Two's agreement, Five chimed up once again, "Maybe we can dig out the front so it will be easier?" Two again praised, "Excellent!"

"This can work." Nine pointed out, "We'll need a long fuse too, so we'll need to use some rope." Five nodded and began to start pulling some out. Two went to flag down the others. Nine stopped Child from tasting the gas. Then everyone went to work. Eight and the twins began to dig out the front while Cat and Seven checked the sides and underside for anything that would catch or stop the descent. The fuse was made of a rope that was twisted and tied so that it would be significantly thicker than a normal one.

Five gave Two a boost to climb onto the edge of the gas opening which no longer spilled out gas as it had spilled too much. He started to shove the wick in when he felt a shift. He wasn't the only one who noticed it; One, who was monitoring the front at they dug, heard the low groan and realized that it was starting to slide. "It's beginning to move on its own! Do you have the preparations in place?" Before he could get an answer the machine abruptly started to slide. Two held onto the edge as he nearly fell off, hearing Five's concerned cries.

"Hand me a match!" He quickly instructed as he began to slide quicker. Before Five could even react, One snatched one out of his quiver and hurried after his mate, throwing it upwards to him. "Be careful! You'll light yourself ablaze!" He warned, but Two was quick, pulling his leg upwards to light the match and then lighting the fuse before quickly turning to jump. "Eight!" He called out, throwing himself off of the machinery, but unfortunately Eight didn't catch on quickly enough and the Inventor collapsed on top of him.

The bit of machinery rolled down the hill towards the nest and fell into it. Then a slow fire started to begin underneath it as Seamstress frames could be seen moving around frantically. A few seconds passed as they watched and Eight asked, "That all it's going to do?" Child remarked, "Logic would suggest that when-." Then the explosion occurred and he shielded himself, along with the others shielding their own frames, and soon looked back to the burning flames. It was like a pit of flames, but the twins noticed something and pointed it out.

Some of the Seamstresses were not killed immediately and were now coming from the metal works and looking for something to blame for their misfortune. Because of such, One spoke, "Make scarce before they see us!" With that they turned around and began to run towards the street as fast as they possibly could. Thankfully the Seamstress Beasts were none the wiser and they had succeeded in taking down the Seamstress nest. At the top of the hill once again Nine stopped to look back at the crater and the burning flames spreading through the nest.

For a second he wondered if it was even worth taking back the world when there were so many places like this. There could be dozens of other nests of these Beasts all over the world, overtaking these old cities, and suddenly he regretted the trip. "Nine?" Seven called back and the zippered male looked over to see her, Five, and Child lagging behind, watching and waiting. He suddenly swallowed the feeling; clearing out the nests was for the good of his family, present and future, and he couldn't get discouraged now. "Coming."

* * *

Julius was growing paranoid as he paced across the sitting room floor. While None had overtaken watch on the young Stitchpunks, the older becoming bored of trying to get the younger to play with him, this didn't ease his mind in the slightest. It made Six feel a little uneasy as well and suddenly he wanted something to do other than drawing. His mind was drawing a blank anyway; it was worth finding something useful to do. Of course the nearby squeaks from the Training Beasts alerted him to one confusion; why they were still fearful.

The striped one stood and spoke, "I'm going to go get Paint and them." The Scientist looked to him, paused, and nodded, "Yes, of course, be careful of that window." He instructed and the Artist nodded before hurrying out of the room and into the bedroom. Maybe there was something they needed in there. Yet as he entered the bedroom he noticed that the four training Beasts were in the same position they were left earlier. Pet and Paint were staring at something while Toto stood nearby, cleaning Button off.

The striped male started to cross over, "What are you doing?" He called playfully and Pet looked back at him, staring, while Paint didn't move. "Paint? What's wrong?" The Beast looked over before perking and scurrying over, him kneeling to rub on her. Though as he did he looked upwards and noticed that there was something else occurring. Over in some fabric left behind by one of the Seamstress Beasts was movement and he grabbed Paint before backing a bit. The Seamstress didn't jump to alertness, but the movement continued.

It was clearly something under the fabric and Six was unsure whether he dared to look underneath or not. He inched closer, putting Paint down so that she could flee if need be, and sluggishly approached the fabric. It was then that he became aware of a strange keening noise that started to repeat from under the tangle. It was loud, it was precise, and as he touched the fabric it grew only louder and more desperate. With this, Six pulled the blanket back and stared down upon what was wriggling on the floor.

It had a short, fabric covered body like a Seamstresses, but too stubby to do much other than flinch and roll about. Lacking arms, the fabric covered its sides like they weren't supposed to exist. It's head was of dark metal with a single red eye that locked onto Six the second he revealed himself. At the end of its nub of a tail was a small piece of metal; no doll, nothing more. It wasn't much to look at and on first appearance Six thought that maybe the small creature was broken by the limp way it moved, but after a few seconds it rolled over and got comfortable.

At this time, curled up before him, Six realized it was infantile, and suddenly his want to have a child smothered whatever fear he had. His mind somewhat nagged that perhaps he already knew he was going to stumble upon this finding, but as he saw the tiny creature staring he felt sympathetic. Looking at the Seamstresses he was unsure if he came out of one or not but it was apparent that if the others were destroying the nest that this small one was going to be alone. He reached out and rested a hand on it, noticing that its fabric was actually soft leather.

Gently he pulled it into his lap and looked to the Training Beasts who were staring at it blankly. Perhaps they knew it was an infant too, he assumed. Either way Six suddenly became very aware that he suddenly had a situation on his hands. The others wouldn't want a Seamstress in their mix. More importantly, Eight wouldn't want a Seamstress in his home, they were the one thing that still gave him any sort of fear. This meant he was on his own in this situation and suddenly became a bit worried. "Papa?" He called back to his parent in the other room, his voice faltering, "Papa?"

It was only a few seconds before Julius entered in quickly, concern across his face, "Six?" He asked in alert and the striped male looked back at him, his face showing his evident turmoil as he showed him what he found. "They left this behind." The older wandered over before seeing clearly what the smaller held and looking surprised. Seeing the look, Six suddenly grew protective, pulling the infant closer to his chest, "What do we do? It's just a baby…" He meekly pointed out and the older Stitchpunk thought over it briefly before exhaling.

"Well, there's not much we can do at the moment. We both know what some of the others will think." Six looked devastated and the Scientist started to take off his white, mock lab coat. "But you're right. It's just a baby, so we can't just leave it behind." Honestly Julius wasn't jumping to bring this creature home, but he found himself feeling too sympathetic, especially with Six being so innocently maternal. He put his coat over Six's shoulders. "This should shield it until we figure out a way to tell." He instructed and Six gave a warm smile before nodding.

"Now… Are you ready for this type of responsibility?" Julius asked with a tender concern. He considered Six to be one of the children he worried of the most, but mostly because of the recent happenings that had occurred. The Scientist though always saw Six as one of his youngest and most innocent, perhaps a sort of bias

"So how did it go?" None asked in the other room and they knew the others were back. Julius was quick to whistle and coax over the Training beasts before lifting Paint and resting her on Six's arm. Now it looked like he was holding the Training Beast while wearing the jacket, the little Seamstress couldn't be seen. Julius led him along and the Artist looked down at the tiny one. It didn't seem to understand its situation and merely fidgeted against the warmth, wrongly believing that Six was its parent, and at this moment Six knew that he was in much too deep.

"They're not all destroyed." Seven explained to the remaining Stitchpunks, "So we need to leave the city, now, but we've got a window where they won't be capable of hunting us. We need to take that window while we can." The others eagerly agreed, "Of course, of course." Two spoke as he grabbed Twenty-One and Twelve. The young Stitchpunks were eager to grab onto their parent, even Twelve whose newborn state still allowed her to cling to him desperately. When Eight lingered too close, Six felt fearful, but careful to tuck the small Seamstress close.

Nine called Toto to his side and looked out of the front of the hotel. Smoke bellowed into the sky from nearby even through the darkness, but he beckoned the others and they began to head out, rushing down the street and out of Belgium once more. They didn't know if they would ever return, but they did know that they never missed Luxembourg's Emptiness quite this much.

* * *

It was nearly dawn and the Stitchpunks finally found themselves stopping at an abandoned house on the side of the road. Unfortunately things weren't simple as it was locked tightly and soon they have given in and just sprawled around the porch. Cat, who was working much better at nighttime, eventually did find a way in. "The bathroom window's open." He warned, "But it's small and there's a tub of nasty water waiting underneath. Care for a dip, Child?" The pale male glared at him and Cat waved him off, "Eh, no fun. So are we going in?"

"There's no point." One sourly denied, sitting on the porch with Twelve in his lap and Two leaning on his shoulder, holding Twenty-One. "We will need to leave at sunrise which should be any moment now." Though the three with him seemed to disagree as they were all asleep. Seven was the only one who dared to come forward and sit on the opposite side of One, looking past him at Two, "He did well today. We wouldn't have pulled through without him." She complimented and One gave one of his rare smiles, "He certainly did. I owe him that."

"Does that mean he's going to start leaving the Sanctuary more?" She asked, testing the waters, "He's been somewhat stuck since this second pregnancy." One paused, looking a bit disturbed, but not exactly at Seven. It more looked like he knew what she was saying and was simply trying not to admit it. "Of course. Twelve is still so young." He looked down at his daughter and Seven added, "But it might be good for him." She then added in more seriously, "I promise that I would protect him. He'd come home safe." One didn't answer, but she swore she saw a bit of a smile there, even if it was a worried one.

"That you will" He responded softly and the two went silent once again. Most of the others were lying about on the deck as well, quietly resting and trying to rest for a short while. Nearby on the steps was Five who was in the cubby under the top step, laying alongside with the twins curled together some ways away. Eight was nearby watching the group and looking out to make sure that nothing came out and ambushed them while they were resting. So far there was no indication of trouble.

At this time Six was feeling surprisingly alert as he held his new pet to his chest, cuddling it close and studying it, coming to the assumption that the Seamstress wasn't what he expected. For one, the leather suggested that it was a Tailor, which was much bigger that a Seamstress. Yet something about it being male was still just as precious. A rare being that was now in his hands. At the same time it was a burden that he would now have to hide. Thankfully Julius had been circling and assisting him.

When Eight had asked, Julius had simply said that he felt the need to spend more time with Six, and Eight had bought the idea and was giving the two adequate time to spend together, unknowing that even as the two sat together now Six was holding something that could become dangerous. The Artist looked over to his father who had slumped against a wooden beam beside him and smiled. He was glad that he had him and reached over to rest his hand on his shoulder lovingly then rested against it and began to ease into exhaustion.

Finally there was Nine who was sitting on the bottom step staring out into the moonlight that was slowly beginning to fade away and would become the morning sun before they knew it. Something about knowing that morning was just around the corner made him feel more relaxed. He felt unnaturally melancholy at night, especially in these conditions, and was glad that it would soon be over. Then footsteps could be heard as a Stitchpunk moved to stand right beside him.

Nine looked over to see Child sitting beside him and smiled a goofy smile, "So is then when you say 'I told you so'?" Child paused for a second before giving a nondescript, "Yes." The zippered male chuckled to himself before looking out at the somewhat barren countryside. Finally they were returning to where the effects of the war were starting to ease away and reveal nature once again. It was a calming sight and he sighed, "Well, you were right about it being a mistake. I guess I should start listening to you a lot more often."

"No." Child started with his own sigh before looking to the other male, hands resting on his thighs tiredly, "No, you shouldn't. I prefer these insane and inane adventures when they're of your own creative ideals and I would prefer not to change that now." Then he gave a gentle smile that drastically perked Nine, now giving a short laugh and resting a hand on one of his, "If you're sure, but don't say I didn't warn you." He then looked back out at the scenery before leaning to rest his head on Child's shoulder, which soon had Child's head resting atop it.

Maybe this was worth all of this. Maybe the fighting was worth just a quiet moment in the countryside. If anyone suggested so Nine would certainly agree.

* * *

**Mable: It seems we have hit the end of the daily uploads once again. I'm taking a week off to go over my things. I have a few other projects I'm working on, such as 'Past Mistakes' and a new request that I got today, so expect both soon. Anyway, I shall be back with uploads next Thursday, I hope everyone enjoyed!**


	19. Chapter 19: The Riverside Camp

**Mable: Now this chapter arc is going to be a little shorter than the first two. More than a couple of chapters, but still relatively shorter, but this is because I fell behind with 'Past Mistakes'. It'll be resolved quick, but I couldn't plan more than a few chapters. Anyway!**

**In the last story arc the Stitchpunks travelled to Belgium where they found it completely destroyed. Most of it having fallen into a large crater which Nine and Five soon discovered was home to a Seamstress Nest. They were ambushed by Seamstresses back at their home and decide to go to the nest where they manage to set it on fire. During this time Six found an infant Tailor, a male Seamstress, and decides to take it in. **

**Now let us begin yet again! I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

* * *

_**Fabric Runs Shallow**_

_Chapter Nineteen: The Riverside Camp_

"Six?" Six was roused by Five's soft voice and his mismatched optics slowly began to open. It was an overcast day now and he wasn't sure how long he had slept. "Five?" He murmured softly and Five spoke again, slightly hesitant, "Six… Ah, there's a Seamstress on your chest." The awkward way he stated that sprung Six into alarm as his optics shot open. Julius awoke two seconds too late and half-heartedly threw his coat over Six's frame, which did absolutely nothing as Five had already seen the small creature he was holding.

The Artist sat upwards as he held the Tailor Infant to his front tightly, "Who else- Who else saw?!" Five was standing above him and looked a bit confused, but thankfully not as scared as he expected. "Nobody. Everyone else is getting ready to go and I came to wake you up." He was too quiet to ask for an explanation but Julius still gave him one. "Six found it yesterday with the remains. Neither of us felt right about leaving it behind." Six was touched that his father was willing to take responsibility too, but decided to make it clear. "It was my fault."

Five didn't really respond and Six pointed out, "You're… not upset?" The Healer sort of shrugged it off, "Of course not. I'm a little… Shocked, but it's too small to hurt us, right?" The Scientist nodded and Five was willing to shrug it off, but before he could Six leapt to his feet, "Five, you _cannot _tell Eight." He begged, using his free hand to grasp Five's arm while the other held the wriggling Tailor baby that was now making chirping noises once again. "Alright, Six, I won't." He agreed before asking carefully, "But you _are_ going to tell him?"

"As soon as I think it's safe." The Artist explained before looking over into the grass where Eight and Seven were sparring together. Eight was swinging at Seven who rolled out of the way while watching Cat who was standing nearby and tended to find amusement in leaping into the battle halfway through. "Which will probably be never." The striped one finished with before quickly reaching down to grab Julius' coat, "Is Two using the baby carrier?" Five rubbed the back of his neck, "I think so. I think he's carrying Twelve on his back."

This discouraged Six who was becoming more frantic. "Now, now. We went this long without being found." Julius excused and Six almost felt better until Five asked, "How long did you two have him?" To which the Artist pitifully responded, "A day…" He was slumping a bit and Julius was insistent, "Five said he won't tell and if we can trust anyone we can trust Five." Apparently the Healer took this as a great compliment, "Thanks Dad!" He nearly alit with joy and Julius suddenly wondered if Six wasn't the only one he needed to give extra attention to.

Six cuddled the little Tailor close and rocked it until it went quiet, somehow managing to get it to comply, and the three approached the others. Then again, Six was a bit hesitant when he could hear Eight's cry of, "Cat!" Echoing across the grass. As the three arrived at the others One was the first to speak, "Finally. We shall leave now." To both Julius and Six's surprise, One's voice was hoarse and he struggled to speak, so Five explained, "Two said it's from stress, maybe. He's not supposed to be talking."

Seven must have listened in as she added in, from her sparring position, "Of course, that's out of the question with One." The Leader gave a silent glare before turning away and heading off in his own direction. Eight followed him, though gave Six a wave, the Artist pretending to be normal as usual but soon afterward looking somewhat frantic. "I think he knows." He whispered in a paranoid fashion to Julius who chuckled a bit before patting his back, "Don't worry yourself into a panic, Six, nobody notices a thing." He only hoped he was right.

The trip home progressed simply enough. Everyone was still a little tired and grouchy and were ready to take a break when the opportunity presented itself to them, and it did upon reaching a grove of gnarled trees with thick, heavy leaves that hung over a small river. It was in the shade of the tree that they finally stopped and since it was warm, Seven was the first to strip off her items and prepare to go swimming. It wasn't just a relaxation tactic as Seven used the water for training as well. Every foot swam felt like three feet ran and that was much wanted.

"Coming in this time, Cat?" She invited and Cat brushed her off, laying tiredly against the tree roots with a few of the others. "I'm not much of a water person, Dove." Seven merely shook her head with a small smile. Cat took his 'Cat' title a bit too far some times, as those animals were notorious to dislike water while he was just notorious to be difficult. "Suite yourself. Guess I'm going in alone." She started over towards the bank before Child spoke, "I'll come. Worst case scenario, I drown and never have to step into the sun again."

As he took off his cape Nine suddenly felt a little envious. Not because Seven and Child would go swimming together, he knew they weren't like that. It was because he was unable to do something that seemed so simple. "Wait!" He called out before standing and hurrying behind the two of them, clearly interested, "How did you learn how to swim? Both of you?" Child raised a brow, "Father taught me in his bathtub believing that I would need it for future reference." He then looked to Seven who quickly responded with, "I taught myself."

"So you both learned quickly," Nine pointed out with an obvious impressed light, "Think I could learn that quick too?" It was odd how the one who was his mate made some sort of mix between a chuckle and a scoff that, even when suppressed, showed that he was more amused than anything. Seven was a little more willing, "Are you sure, Nine? It's a little difficult to just learn." Nine was insistent, "I'm willing to accept that I'm not going to just learn it immediately, but I'm going to work as hard as I can."

He could hear Child mutter something about him giving up, but denied it, "I'm going to stay with it until I learn." Child now pointed out, "Good, because as we are made of metal us staying afloat is already a crime against nature, so it can't be learned suddenly." Nine gave an exasperated look and the pale male raised his hands in defense. "Very well. Let's begin." Even with past jealousy, Child and Seven were relatively good friends and, if anything, acted like accurate siblings, so they were able to work in synch.

Seven dove into the water and Nine went to follow, but Child stopped, "For your first time, don't dive in. Just lower into the water easily." He started stepping down the sandy bank and Nine followed, the cool and soft sand feeling wonderful against his tired feet. They stepped into the cold water where Seven was already paddling around a bit before entering the shallow area with them. "The way I learned was in water that's not deep enough to go overhead, but is deep enough that you can actually swim in it. That way if you get scared or start to sink you can straighten yourself, alright?"

He nodded but made sure, "You're not being extra careful with me, are you? Because you don't have to be." Seven laughed to herself at Nine's comment, "No, Nine, we're going to just go nice and simple. That's the best way to learn." Soon he was in the water to his shoulders, cool and soaking into his burlap, and Child looked to Seven, "So how exactly should we do this?" He asked and the female hummed before suggesting, "Let's just go in head first, I guess." She suggested and they decided it was simple enough.

Child approached Nine almost hesitantly, as though he was trying to figure out what he was doing while he was doing it. Then he rested his hands on Nine's hips and took him into his arms somewhat. Since his weight wasn't as obvious in the water it was an easy task, but Nine wasn't ever especially heavy in the first place. Either way Child started to slowly head deeper in. "What about staying in the shallow?" Nine asked and Child responded matter-of-factly, "What happened about being not extra careful."

As they got deep enough that Child had to start moving his legs to keep his head up he partially released Nine. The zippered male began kicking frantically and began to quickly sink into the water. Thankfully, Seven swam quickly upwards and grasped him arm to keep him up, "Relax. Move slower, like if you were just walking." Nine nodded and began to kick his feet a lot slower. Yet he still began to sink into the water, just barely slower, until his head was under once again.

Now Child pushed him up, keeping himself upwards and holding Nine around the waist. "Here, just kick like Seven, watch Seven." He instructed as though guiding a Stitchpup along. Nine nodded and watched Seven who began to slowly paddle instead of stroking, as though to show him how to. He tried to emulate her as best as he could and while both doubted he would stay upwards on his own the motions were enough to show that he was getting the just. They started taking turns holding him up and teaching him to paddle right, tiring themselves in the process.

Finally after a good thirty minutes of this they decided to continue onwards with their lesson. "Now we're trying something new." Seven suggested to the zippered male, "Child's going to hold you up for a second and then let go and you're going to swim to me. Then we're going to do the same thing again, but with me holding you and you swimming over to Child." Nine nodded and Seven moved some ways away so that there was some distance. Then she began to steadily beckon him and he released Child and began to paddle.

His head dipped under water almost immediately, but Nine was somewhat thrilled to see that he was still able to make it to Seven, even if he was much lower than anticipated. She helped him get back to the surface yet again and this time he was more eager to try swimming back to Child. Again he sunk and yet his confidence slowly began to raise significantly. "_I already made this much progress." _He insisted to himself mentally as he tried swimming back to Seven once again, _"I can do this. I'm going to do this."_

Yet after a few times back and forth Seven suddenly announced, "Maybe we should stop for a while. If we keep going too much longer we'll get too tired." Child agreed even though Nine was hesitant to stop, "I'm already getting a cramp, so that would be best." They guided Nine back over to the shallow end again and started to leave the water. Nine could see that the others were starting to get in as well. The twins, in particular, were splashing each other playfully until Four ducked and a spray of water went over Five who was sitting on the shore.

Five decided to play along and rushed into the water playfully chasing Three who ran with her optics flickering as if she was giggling. "I'm going to get you!" He mock threatened as he chased after her and eventually did get ahold, lifting her onto his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and then running after her twin with a fake roaring sort of noise. Nine watched them and actually got a brief bit of laughter at seeing them play before None called to him, "Done practicing for now?" His twin was also in the water, but not doing anything in particular.

"Yeah, but I'm not done for the day. Here, let me tell you what we did." He then waded to his twin to where he would be able to explain to the younger what happened and knew he would be excited. Child sat down on the bank and laid down on the sand, Pet coming over to lay on his chest and release little 'meek' noises. Seven trudged up the bank towards Eight who, like Child, was hesitant to get in the water, "Where's Six?" She asked in a curious tone and the Guard looked hesitant. "Off with Dad probably."

"Oh." She merely responded, but it triggered Eight, "What does that mean?" Seven raised a brow and Eight raised a hand, "That came out wrong." She released an agreeing hum and Eight ran a hand over his head, "I don't know if it's me, but is Six being… Dodgy?" Seven was ready to deny, but then mulled over it for a few seconds and her response changed, "Maybe a little, but I don't think it's anything." The Guard thought for a few seconds as well before lowering his voice, "Look, I need some advice and it can't get back to One, and you're the only one who I know won't slip in front of One."

The white Stitchpunk bought the answer well enough. Besides that, Eight didn't have many Stitchpunks who he could confide in, the closest one being Six himself. He also probably didn't want to tell Julius either. He then explained, "Six asked about kids." Seven's optics widened in what Eight could only say was a mortified version of suspicion. "I said no. We aren't ready for kids. I'm really not ready for kids. He acted like it was fine, but now we've got this going on." Again Seven paused and soon shrugged it off, "Alright, Eight, maybe he's upset and maybe he doesn't want you to know."

The Guard looked a little annoyed and she crossed her arms, "You wanted me to be honest and that's the truth. But that doesn't mean anything's wrong. If Six wants a baby that badly then he naturally will be upset, but I think you're right to be hesitant. Babies, I couldn't imagine having children." Cat suddenly chimed in, "I could do with a couple of kittens some time." Eight glared at the male who was clearly listening and Seven interrupted any altercation, "If you're really worried then why don't you ask Six to spend some time with you? Don't confront him, just be there for him."

"Yeah…" Eight thought before nodding, "That's why I'm doing. Thanks. Helped my problem." Then added in quieter, "Now if you could only fix that problem." He gestured over to Cat and Seven smiled at the joke before he headed to find Six who was sitting behind the tree drawing. Or, more specifically, leaning over to shield the tailor and showing it how he drew. The second the footsteps came closer he pulled the paper upwards and pushed the Tailor down underneath him. It seemed to be like the Stitchpup as upon being pushed it fell quiet.

"Hey." Eight called out before coming beside Six who tried not to look like he was hiding something, "Want to get in the water?" Six blinked in confusion, "But you don't like the water." He pointed out obviously and Eight excused it with, "I changed my mind. Come on." Six was unsure; if he said no then Eight would be suspicious, and besides he wanted to go, so he agreed, "Okay! Go wait at the water, I'm just going to put my stuff away." The Guard nodded and offered to help, which was declined, and once he headed off Six decided that he needed to hide the Tailor.

His immediate idea was a bad one, but he went along with it anyway. Nearby on a blanket was stack most of the supplies. Also there was Twelve in her carrier and Twenty-One who was laying out on the blanket asleep. As they were both put for a nap it was obvious that nobody would be heading over to interrupt them anything soon. He carried the infant Beast over and nestled it between one of the bags and Twenty-One who was still completely asleep. "Stay here." He whispered with a smile before standing and beginning to head away.

Eight striped off his weapons and inched into the water casually as though he didn't want to touch it so Six approached and grasped his wrist, leading him into the water. For a good thirty minutes they just had a few minutes to themselves, then joined with the others to try to find something to do. Eventually Six was seated on Eight's shoulders in the deeper water watching as Seven and child tried teaching Nine how to swim again when Eight suddenly drew his attention, "You hear something?"

Six paused to listen only to perk with horror at the noise that was coming from some ways away. The chirping noise of a wailing Beast revealing itself to Six. He suddenly shoved off of Eight's shoulders and fell into the water, for a second falling underneath the water and yet managing to somewhat swim to the shore and dashing upwards, "I'm going to go check!" He called back to Eight as he hurried back to the supplies. Unfortunately that's where he suddenly saw what was occurring. There, above the Tailor Beast, stood One.

"One, wait!" Six called desperately and grabbed ahold of the Leader's arm who then stared at him silently with shock in his optics. That's when Six realized that One's voice must had finally gone all the way out as he wasn't saying a thing. This was a great opportunity and he grabbed tried to get in front of One to stop him from doing anything, "One, wait, I can explain!" He desperately pleaded to which One went to circle right around him. Six knew that he was going to be heading straight to Eight as soon as possible.

Now he was assertive and grabbed One in a telekinetic hold, dragging him back. One reacted in obvious disturbance with widening optics and staring upon the striped one as though he was insane. "Just listen to me." Six kept his calmness and gestured to the infantile Tailor Beast, "It's unable to hurt us, it can only get as big as we make it, and it would have died alone. Babies shouldn't die alone. What if something happened to Twelve, would you want her to lay there, alone, without anyone or would you have preferred her to be taken in by something else? Like a Seamstress?"

One didn't answer and Six was becoming frantic, "It's not fair that I'm the one always making the sacrifices. He needs us and I'm not sacrificing him." Maybe he was out of control, but he wanted to get through to One, and One was as hardheaded as it came. It was only more disheartening to know that Eight would be worse. He waited for an answer, but didn't receive one from One's inability to speak. Then he finally got one by the Leader pointing at the Tailor angrily before pointing at the blanket beside it which held Twelve in her carrying sack and Twenty-One stretched out on the blanket asleep.

He was upset that Six had put them so close to his children. "I won't do it again, I swear." Six quickly kneeled down and scooped the Tailor into his arms, watching its eye blink as it stared upwards at him. It was obviously already growing attached and One knew it, making a motion like he would if he was going to scoff. "I'll figure this out, please, but don't tell Eight." The Leader shook his head before looking strict and pointing to Six; he wanted Six to be the one to tell Eight. Most likely One wanted to keep the mindset of not condoning it and probably didn't.

Six knew that it was the guilt trip that had succeeded this far, and surprisingly he didn't even need Two's help. "I'll tell him, I promise." He insisted, "Eventually… Once it's too big to hide under Father's Coat." One was not amused and Six gave a weak smile before going off to hide the baby creature somewhere nearby. The leader was absolutely agitated; nothing he was trying to say to Six was getting through properly, especially his repeated insistence that they couldn't keep the thing.

Maybe Six wasn't paying attention but he knew that it didn't matter. There as someone who would no doubt agree and all he had to wait for was Six to tell him.

* * *

**Mable: Next chapter will be posted tomorrow! I hope everyone enjoyed!**


	20. Chapter 20: The Missing Young

**Mable: During the last chapter Child and Seven started teaching Nine how to swim and One learned about the Tailor Beast. Now we continued, I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

* * *

_**Fabric Runs Shallow**_

_Chapter Twenty: The Missing Young_

It was the early morning and the sun was only barely beginning to rise. The Stitchpunks had decided to spend the night at the tree, which Nine was glad for as he slowly stood from his sleeping area. After a brief stretch he looked over towards the river nearby and a mischievous smile passed his lips. After all of the practice the day before he was confident that he would be able to swim in the near future and wanted to get in some early practice. If he was lucky he would be able to actually learn how to swim before Child and Seven awoke and would surprise them.

He slowly crossed to the soft sand and started to lower into the water. He immediately was taken by the cold and his body shivered as he submerged himself fully to get used to it quicker. He popped back to the surface as he went deeper to his shoulders. Noticing that his body still felt stiff and frozen he dipped under the water again hoping that it would help him get more comfortable. Yet at that moment he suddenly heard a splashing noise and only had a second to blink before he was nearly tackled.

In the dark there was a tug of war and something grabbed him and drug him towards the shore. Nine only allowed himself to be drug a little farther before he struck backwards and was released abruptly, falling into the knee deep water. Looking upwards Nine could see in the dim light the obvious figure of Child and looked alarmed, "Child?" He asked in confusion mixed with a degree of annoyance. The pale male was rubbing his jaw and looked at the zippered male with an absolutely dumbstruck look, "You punched me."

He accused in disbelief and Nine responded, "You _attacked _me. I thought you were a Beast or something!" The pale male scoffed, "I didn't attack you, you self-absorbed _selbstsuchteg. _I was rescuing you from drowning." The zippered male stood with obvious frustration and announced, "I wasn't drowning, I was swimming." He expected Child's response, "That wasn't swimming, Nine." To which Nine ignored and passed him to exit the water, no longer wanting to swim anymore, "And another thing; a self-absorbed _selbstsuchteg? _S_elbstsuchteg _means self-absorbed. It's redundant."

Child quickly quipped, "Oh no, it's purposeful. I wanted to get my meaning through as thoroughly as possible." At this moment a third voice called out, "Quiet down over there or One's coming over!" It was Eight and, from his tired tone, he was probably being coaxed by the temporarily mute One. Nine quickly called over with, "Sorry!" before climbing out of the water. Instead of heading over to the area he sat down beside the tree, staring across the river and watching as Child followed him and sat beside him on the moss.

They stared out across the water silently as Child continued to rub his face. The zippered male was now quite amused, "I didn't hit you that hard." The male disagreed, "Have you ever considered simply going hand to hand with Beasts? Clocking them one and then fleeing while they stagger to recover?" Nine actually laughed at this, but tried to suppress it as the others were nearby, and suddenly Child slipped off his cape, "Here. You're soaking wet and it's still cool. We don't want you getting ill and turning into One; having to get Eight to yell for you."

He affectionately wrapped his hood around Nine's shoulders and tucked it in warmly around him in an affectionate gesture. The fight didn't apparently matter anymore and Nine was somewhat glad, but he was even more glad when Child murmured, "I apologize for frightening you. When I saw you bobbing in and out of the water I assumed the worst." Nine didn't know whether he should accept it and be weary or actually be glad that the other male was willing to save him. Instead, he answered with, "It's not your fault. I was trying to get used to the water so it probably looked like the worst."

He leaned into Child's touch as Child leaned back against a mossy rock at the base of the tree that unfortunately wasn't very comfortable even when he was struggling to get it to be. He then gave Nine a soft tug to show what he was requesting and the zippered male was more than eager to do so, resting his head on him and cuddling into his front, needing the warmth desperately as they rested there in the growing morning. But as time ticked on it soon came around that they weren't the only ones awake.

Twenty-One was always the first Stitchpunk awake, but usually at home he had some toys in his crib to keep himself busy until One or Two came by to lift him out. Today those toys were packed away, save his plush Rabbit, so he very well could play to entertain himself. Instead he had a new idea for what he wanted to do and it involved playing with something that he hadn't before. He scurried over to Two's side and bent down to lift it into his grasp, it being very heavy for him and hard to hold, and wandered off to find a place to play with it.

Yet as he headed through the much too thick grass with it in his arms he became slightly top heavy and soon found himself tripping and falling to the ground. Thankfully he didn't land of it and it responded with a squeaking noise of protest. At this sound he should have expected that somebody would have awoken. Two certainly did the moment he felt around and noticed that someone had removed what was laying behind him and sat upwards, immediately catching sight and gasping. "Twenty-One!"

Nine and Child, naturally, both heard the commotion as they were still awake and glanced over, "Twenty-One?" Nine asked tiredly before recognizing the little one running by. "What's he carrying?" Child looked and perhaps his optics were more focused as they immediately recognized why Two was so frantic. He untangled himself and was the one to hurry over first to stop the young Stitchpunk from fully running off. To the disbelief of everyone awake, Twenty-One was running around carrying the new baby like a ragdoll, and happily doing so.

Child steered the young one back to Two who had managed to poke One awake before they rushed over. The overprotectiveness towards the new baby was obvious and Two kneeled down before Twenty-One, "Twenty-One, what were you doing?" Two's voice didn't hold anger, but more of a rightful concern, and Twenty-One must have detected it in the way that he skipped his nickname. His face furrowed with a quizzical pause and he plainly stated, "Want to play baby." He pointed out simply, still clutching his younger sister who, while wide awake, passively rested in his grasp.

Two gently eased her out and One spoke, lowly and with a crackling voice, "Ere… ou… oung." Twenty-One's look of confusion stated firmly planted, but he did notice the disappointment in One's eyes. It was strange that he could at so young, but he recognized that both of his parents were upset, and in turn it made him upset. He got a clear frown as Two tried to explain, "I know you mean well, but Twelve is too young to play like you do, it's dangerous for her. Especially since you are much too young to hold her."

Twenty-One suddenly let his head drop in defeat pitifully and Two offered, "Once she's a bit bigger you will be able to play with her as much as you want." The tiny male sort of nodded, but was still pitiful as One leaned down to lead him back to the camp again, giving him a small pat of reassurance. Unlike the others, he was unnaturally easy on Twenty-One, and knew that the little one had meant no harm. That seemed to be the end of it for the adults who soon set Twenty-One down with his toys and let him play merrily.

Yet it wasn't the end. A couple of hours later the Stitchpunks were now awake and wandering around when Two had went to go see if Twenty-One wanted to get into the water with them when he noticed the younger Stitchpunk was missing. "Twenty-One?" He asked in confusion before looking around. However, Twenty-One was missing, and as he looked around he soon realized that he was nowhere to be seen. He began to wander around and ask the others if they had seen anything, but it became quickly apparent that the little one was missing.

It only became more terrifying when he realized that he wasn't the only one missing. Twelve was also absent and now he was growing on panicked. He tried to keep his compositor as he approached Six who was rocking his Tailor. Two, naturally, pretended that he didn't see it when he really did, as he had been doing for a while to keep Six comfortable, and asked, "Have you seen Twenty-One and Twelve? I thought Five was playing with Twone." The Artist tried to hide the little Tailor in his grasp and murmured, "He did, he just walked off." He meekly stated and Two turned around before hurrying off.

Five had left, probably coaxed by the twins, and now his children had vanished. He felt awful; blaming himself for not explaining more to Twenty-One, for not watching them a thoroughly as the others, and he hurried to One' side. "One, they're gone." Perhaps it was the still present separation anxiety making him so desperate, maybe it was the guilt for leaving their side to spend time with the others, but his voice was filled with the worry. "Twenty-One and Twelve, they're both gone."

One's optics widened and he stood silently, his face showing the questioning that he couldn't speak, "Now let's not panic yet," Two started as he grasped One's shoulders, "If Twenty-One went off with her somewhere he wouldn't have gotten far. Let's get the others and look." While his voice struggled to stay calm and his normal optimism stayed mostly intact it warred with the rest of the irrational emotions. Neither were willing to waste any time as they hurried to get the others together, Two calling them out of the water.

Because it was Two they were actually worried as if One called they would assume it would be to instruct them to prepare to leave. Two didn't wait for everyone to approach before he announced, "The children are gone. I just asked Six and he wasn't sure where they are. Have any of you see either- One?" He suddenly noticed that One had bluntly spun around and began storming across the grass back towards where Six was. "One?" Two repeated desperately, but One was stubbornly storming away, and all it took was a single look from Julius to realize what was occurring.

Six realized it too the second the he looked upwards to see One angrily rushing over. He saw the glare and he knew it was directed past him and at the Tailor Beast in his grasp. He held him close as the Leader barged forward, making angry static noises and half-finished words. "No, One, I thought we…" He faded off as the others rushed off and he watched in his own fear as the others soon were directed to see what he had. "Six…" Seven interrupted One's sputtering, the male was now so frustrated that he seemed to be literally shaking his hands with in, with a concerned question, "What are you doing with that?"

Six looked to her and yet couldn't speak, he just sat there limply, holding the small one. "Six found the infantile Beast after the Seamstresses were destroyed, but One I really don't think it was involved. The poor think can barely move, let alone move two healthy children." Six looked confused, "Two children… Twenty-One and Twelve? Aren't they with Five?" Two suddenly focused on his comment instead of Seven and One's vastly different way of showing worry, passing by them both. "With Five? So Five didn't leave them alone, he took them somewhere?"

The Artist nodded meekly, "He… Twenty-One wanted to go somewhere… Five didn't want to leave Twelve alone." Two was immediately relieved by this new news and turned to One, stopping his silent tirade, "One, if they're with Five then they're probably just down the river somewhere. They haven't gone off on their own, they're being watched, and that means the Beast did nothing wrong." One was still planning to erupt when Child wandered up with Nine and None, the twins peering out from behind the latter.

All of the Stitchpunks crowding in triggered the Tailor Beast to press firmer against Six, nuzzling into him. Its tail twitched in fear and released a soft rattling noise. "It already has the instinct to use its tail?" Seven asked in suspicion; having absolute suspicion towards any Seamstress relative. Child didn't seem very fazed and Cat was so unfazed that he was sharpening his claws on a root. "The rattling is a natural noise so I doubt that it has begun to learn any types of attacks yet." Seven was insistent, "And you are certain?"

The male casually responded with, "Very." Realizing how determined he was that he knew and remembering Cat's existent, Six changed, "Then make him a Stitchpunk like us! Can't we do that?" Child blinked at the face pressed into his and responded simply, "Six, it's not that simple." The Artist's hopeful look deteriorated and child insisted, "Cat was a fully completed Beast with a somewhat functional intelligence and enough strength to make it through drastic surgery. An infant will not." Six nodded in understanding and Child added in, "Maybe when he is older."

Six perked once again, "You could do that?" The albino was insistent, "If I could create a Seamstress out of fabric, old metal, a child's plaything, One's personal plaything, and other things randomly in my reach, then I have no doubt I can do this." Though this seemed to do the reverse with the others. If anything, all it did was make Six feel better, but by then One was prepared to leave the situation to look for his children. He and Two immediately dipped into their items and got prepared.

"Which way were they off to?" Two asked Six while One addressed Julius, murmuring low enough so that he could actually work his voice, but they could understand what he was saying when the Scientist followed with, "Eight? I haven't seen him for a while." He looked to his other children and Nine spoke, "Eight's been gone for a while. Maybe even gone as long as Five." To this None suddenly added in, "Which means that they may have left together. Maybe they both left together."

This was even more relieving to Two, but not to One, who made a hand gesture resembling the magnet being used. Nobody would deny that the chance of Eight being around here but just getting high was a possibility, even if he had been backing off from it, but either way they had a new Stitchpunk to look for and Seven spoke. "We should break into groups." Two agreed, "Yes. One and I will check the river." Seven was confused, "Just the two of you?" Two nodded, "Smaller groups to cover more ground."

She agreed, "Alright, makes enough sense. Both groups of twins can head over towards the tall grass. Father, Child, and I can take to the bramble grove out that way. It's far, but if they went in that direction then it's a possibility." Though she could hear None ask, "Both groups of twins?" To which Nine casually responded in amusement with, "We've been demoted to 'twins'." As the groups went to split up she did look back to Six and voiced, "I do hope that you know what you're doing…" her voice was laced with concern and Six nodded insistently, "Alright, that's all I need."

She voiced even if all of her fears were clearly not suppressed. Still she moved away to tell Cat to stay behind with him. Six knew what she wanted to ask; if he had told Eight. Which again would have been redundant as he hadn't done so. Yet now as everyone knew it seemed like it would be impossible to hide his secret fully. He would have to tell Eight as soon as possible and deal with the consequences. The groups broke off separately and began to head off to seek out the missing children and Stitchpunks.

* * *

Cat heard the footsteps coming and rolled his head over to look towards Six who was still sitting by the supplies with the baby Tailor. He knew the striped one was most likely worried about Eight's reaction, even Cat himself was somewhat afraid of Eight 'popping his top', as Cat himself would prefer to state it. But that was certainly what Eight was going to do. After all, Eight had an especially dislike towards Seamstress and Tailor kind, and Cat didn't blame him. The medusa-esque beings were very difficult to deal with, even for other kinds of Beasts, and it was so far the only thing that had managed to overpower the Guard.

He felt somewhat bad for Six though because he knew it wasn't as though the striped one could avoid someone who he shared a room with. The footsteps nearby only signaled that someone was coming and Cat detected the heaviness and had a clear idea of who was coming. Then, suddenly, around the tree came Eight and Five, the latter carrying Twelve, Twenty-One following along. Cat found the coincidence somewhat amusing if it wasn't about to be such a tense situation.

Six quickly sat down the Tailor behind some of the luggage and stood eagerly, "You're back!" He called to the group and Five waved to him as Eight started over. "Where's everyone?" The Guard asked and the Artist smiled, "Looking for you. One and Two didn't know where you or the little ones were." Eight immediately grimaced, "How mad is he?" The striped one released a small, almost nervous chuckle. "A bit… But I think he's mad at me, not you." He grasped his key tightly and looked back to Five and Cat before murmuring, "Eight, we need to talk."

Hearing this Cat suddenly shot upwards and went to circle the tree as fast as he could while Five's optic widened. Six gave him a look and briefly nodded to signal that it was fine, so Five decided to stay back. Eight seemed to be expecting this and nodded, "I figured. This is about that thing we talked about?" The striped one shook his head, "No, it's… Eight… Eight I did something and I know you won't like it." Even though his guilty face was obvious Eight felt automatic relief. Really he was glad that Six wasn't upset about babies still as his own feelings hadn't changed.

Even when watching Five with the two Stitchpups he only realized more thoroughly that he wasn't prepared to have any of his own. Not that there was anything wrong with them in particular, but it was better that he didn't have to watch a gaggle of youths and worry of them like they were his own. "We've been through a lot, Six, have you ever done something I didn't like?" The mismatched optics blinked, "Only a few days ago I went on a rampage and attacked everyone." Stood corrected, Eight insisted with a, "Yeah, but the river's right nearby. If I need to dump you in it then I don't have to walk far."

His good humor seemed to ease the little one's worries and he blurted out. "I found a little Beast in the Emptiness and I've been carrying it around with me. It's a baby and… And it doesn't have anyone else." He insisted sadly and Eight didn't seem very fazed. Unlike what Six assumed, Eight wasn't too shocked, "We already got a Beast following us around." He gestured back to Paint and Button who had been walking with Five and Six was relieved, "So… You're not upset?" If anything, Eight was glad, because it meant Six had something else to give his maternal feelings towards instead of an actual baby.

"No. You could have told me sooner, but that's fine." He wasn't expecting Six to leap forward and hug him tightly before just as quickly pulling back, "That's great! Here, I'll get him, you'll love him!" He rushed over to the bags and Eight looked back to Five who smiled a little shakily, "You knew?" The Guard offered from the look and Five cleared his throat before nodding. "You could've said something too. Would've taken a lot of weight off of my shoulders." That's when Six scurried up and Eight turned back before he saw what the Artist was thrusting into his face, "I call him Shoestring. Oh, look! He likes you!"

Cat almost swore he heard someone scream, but decided it wasn't worth going back to check.

* * *

**Mable: I didn't expect juggling two stories to be so hard! Ah well, I'm going to keep at it. The next chapter will be posted tomorrow!**


	21. Chapter 21: The Search Attempts

**Mable: In the last chapter Twenty-One and Twelve went missing, suspected to be with Five and Eight, and the others devised a plan to go after them. I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

* * *

_**Fabric Runs Shallow**_

_Chapter Twenty-One: The Search Attempts_

"Now don't look at me like that." Two spoke to the Stitchpunk following behind him as he assumed that there was a sour look directed at the back of his head. "This isn't anything we done, and may I remind you that you told me that I was coddling them too much. I needed to get some time away." He used his lance as a walking stick as he stared at the river rolling beside them. Making sure that he didn't catch sight of anything in the water. It was at this moment that One rested a hand on his back calmly, and Two looked somewhat meekly to him.

Thankfully that sour look that Two expected was missing. Instead, One just looked solemn, and Two tried to be the optimistic one and gave a small smile. "They're just with Five. Perhaps we're overreacting?" One looked towards the grass with a subtle look of reluctant agreeing in his mate. "Maybe so." One quietly got out, voice crackling still from the misuse, and Two smiled, "Feeling any better? It sounds a little better." He stopped the male alongside him and rested a hand on his chest and back to feel, resting the lance on his arm as he did so.

One responded with, "Somewhat." It still sounded rough though and the Inventor patted his back, "You're doing very well. Just keep easy and if you want to speak then just keep in whispers. I swear, for someone so pampered you somehow managed to strain yourself." The Leader actually acted like this was a compliment and responded with a low comment that the Inventor heard part of. Something about it, "Being the duty of a leader."

Though Two merely chuckled as they continued along the soft ground lining the river, "Actually, perhaps it's good we're getting some time to ourselves. It's- No, don't look at me like that!" He again added in, "You know what I meant. I didn't mean that I didn't want them, I meant that it would be nice for us to get some time to ourselves." One muttered to himself, or perhaps he spoke to himself but was automatically forced to speak quietly, "Yes, I know, but we chose to come out here and we are the only adults."

The shorter dropped back a bit, "Now that's not true. The second I realized Eight and Five were with them I knew they were fine." The other gave him a look of actual amusement and the Inventor admitted, "Or maybe I continued to overreact needlessly. Either way, here we are, why don't we sit down for a second?" One looked at him as though he was insane and Two headed towards a stone on the edge of the water. "I am more than certain they are fine and we have been walking for a… Well, a few minutes at least."

He approached the rock before sitting down beside it on the ground and leaning back against it. One wandered over and sat down as well, bending the grass over so that he would be sitting on it instead of just the ground, then did so. "Yes, this was worth ignoring our children for." He muttered and the Inventor gave him a warm smile, "Just a few seconds." His head rolled down to rest on the Leader's shoulder affectionately and One's had raised upwards to stroke over it. Two released a soft exhale of pleasure and murmured with a soft, "One…"

Suddenly One shifted himself upwards so that he was able to hold his mate fully. Actually Two had a point; since leaving on the trip they hadn't gotten much time to be affectionate and since both were relatively sure that their children were safe they could take a few minutes to themselves. He gently coaxed the other's round face into his hands and pressed his lips to the shorter's. There came a few seconds of nothing but the joy of kissing a loved one before One pulled back, looking down at his mate.

Those wide optics that still held youth even though Two was as One said an adult. He still held that same interest and curiosity, and it showed brightly in his optics which looked up at him. Vision impaired or not they still were clever and Seamstress or not they still lured him in. Without a word he leaned back in and pressed their lips together in another kiss. This time lasting longer, lasting and wavering into a passion that One was missing and that Two was insisting for. He could feel Two's hand reached upwards to close on his wrist where it massaged its fingers over the metal gently.

Two felt a soft groan begin to emerge as he noticed that One was pressing him firmly, attempting to push him down, and the small Inventor caved and let himself begin to fall back. He pulled both hands back to catch the ground as he lowered himself down beside the rock, somewhat surprised that One was willing to let his cape drag this close to the ground. One slipped above him and looked down upon his mate before reaching to caress his cheek, eliciting yet another lovely sigh from the shorter male.

"One… Please…" he begged quietly as he looked up at his mate, giving him a small smile as he gave in all control. He knew that this would please One, One loved to have even a little bit of control, and knowing that he could do whatever he wanted only enticed him further as he took his mate's lips with his own once again while his hand dropped down to tease the ties that rested on his lover's chest. As slowly as possible he tangled his hand in them before pulling at one of the strings and watching as the small bow came apart before his very eyes.

"If only for a moment." One murmured as though he was going to say more, but then fell into silence as they kissed again, the rock somewhat blocking them from view as they fell into their own private bliss.

* * *

The ground was oddly mushy in the tall grass and the second that they stepped in they had a suspicion that they were making a mistake. Nine himself didn't think that Five or Eight would ever consider this as an adequate spot to bring the young and as he pushed through the tall blades he tried to see through. Unfortunately they stood high over his head and as such it was difficult to look through. "Five!" He called through in an attempt to do a quick search and, as predicted, he received no response in return.

As he continued to walk through the thick grass his feet sunk into a mucky mess of mud and foul smelling water hiding underneath. It was all around an unpleasant experience, especially when the liquids smelled like the noxious fumes from the factory. Then, suddenly, he stepped into a hole and immediately sunk knee deep with a single leg, the mud settling in around his limb. His other leg slid a bit as he held onto each side desperately to keep from going in further. "Guys!" He called back, "Guys, I could use some help!"

"Where are you?" His twin called through the grass and Nine called back, "Here! Follow my voice, I'm stuck in the mud!" His hands began to sink in as well and Nine let out a groan of discontent as he wondered what would happen if he sank all the way down. He obviously wouldn't die, but he wondered if he would have to wait until they got someone like Eight to pull him out. Thankfully None appeared from the grass at that moment, stumbling out as a knot in the grass caught his ankle. He stomped into the water attempting to regain his balance and splashing dirty liquid over what part of Nine was clean.

The older twin wiped the dirty water off of his optics while the younger stood over him. "Here, give me your arms!" He instructed with a friendly smile and Nine did so, reaching upwards desperately and clasping onto his arms. None began to tug upwards and back as Nine slowly started to slide out, the mud suckling at him and trying to drag him down underneath once again. Finally with a gurgle and an uncomfortable popping noise the zippered male slipped free and felt to his knees, though now on slightly safer ground that was firmer.

Unfortunately None wasn't as lucky as the release caused him to slip and fall back into the mud behind him. Now both were filthy and they hadn't even gotten through the grass more than a few feet. As Nine stood and attempted to kick some of the mud off of his leg that had sunk in the muck the twins came forward to help None. Though Three was clearly more hesitant to touch the dirt than Four was, the latter nearly wrapping herself around None and helping him to his feet, which Nine noticed and watched for a few seconds.

None noticed the staring, "Nine?" He asked curiously and the older shook it away before smiling with a bit of a sigh, "I'm just cutting my losses and saying Five didn't come this way." Three nodded in agreement and gestured to Nine and None, then to her own feet, as though pointing out that they needed to clean off. "Yeah, let's go clean in the river and head back to see if they got home." He insisted and coaxed the others on before turning and heading out the way he thought was correct, trying to hide the look of edging surprise on his face.

They managed to make it out of the grass with only a little tripping and only slightly more sinking when Four and None, who were helping each other walk along, stumbled into a mucky patch together and had a laugh about it. The group made it back to the river where they waded in and began to wash themselves amongst the reeds. The twins were assisting each other and None was leaning on Nine as he tried to get the thick dirt off that had collected on his foot. During this time Nine stared out at the water, thought mulling over each other.

"Nine?" None asked his twin, "Is something up? You're being awfully quiet." He pointed out and the older stared out across the water for a few seconds before suddenly speaking, "I want to try to swim again." It wasn't still bothering him, but he had a sneaking suspicion that it would make him feel better if it was successful. None was concerned, "Here? Nine, if you can't make it there will be nobody to help you." He reminded and the older shrugged, "True, but if I fell in the water out in the Emptiness, alone, I would have to suddenly learn out there. I rather it somewhat controlled."

With that he pulled away and started to wade into the water with None pitifully calling after him, "Nine, wait!" He yelled in desperation, but his twin was insistent, and by now the twins noticed and were watching as well. Nine started to get deeper into the water, blocking out any thoughts and trying to focus solely on what he was taught by Child and Seven. Then he suddenly kicked off and was in the deep water, water at neck, feet no longer touching bottom. He began to stroke with his arms and kick rhythmically to slip through the water.

The water inched higher and yet he continued along forward. He continued to kick, to force himself along, slowly moving along as his head started to go under. His head aimed upwards so that he could still get air as he started to slow down. Only then did he realize how cold the water felt and how quickly he was sinking. Then his feet suddenly brushed the sand on the bottom of the river and he opened his eyes only to realize he was arriving at the other side and soon stumbled onto shore in disbelief.

His legs were sore, his breathing parts were aching as he panted, and yet a swell of pride filled his being as he gasped, "I did it… I made it!" He turned around and faced the others on the other side, "I swam all the way over here on my own!" he cried over to them and None cried out with a whoop of congratulations while the twins clapped and seemed to be recording with their optics. None then spoke, "That's great! Come back over and we'll tell the others!" A few seconds passed as Nine accessed his situation. He crossed the water full of energy and now had none, which only meant that going back would be much more difficult.

"I…. uh… Can't?"

* * *

The brambles were nothing like the looked from a distance. They were closed together and hard to see through, so Julius seemed to immediately announce, "They wouldn't have come this way. Come on, we should head back and check another direction." As they turned to head back Seven felt the need to approach Child, "Are you sure about what you said to Six?" She asked with obvious concern and Child seemed unfazed by her insistence, "I'm positive. It made him happy and I have no quarrels with taking on extra work."

She huffed, "But that's it!" She abruptly went quiet and checked to make sure that the Scientist hadn't heard them before looking back to him once again and speaking quieter, "You just see this as a project to stretch your Machine building skills, but this is much more than that." The accusation seemed to offend Child as he suddenly got an oddly blank stare as the Warrior insisted, "We will have to foster this thing for life and then hope that it can turn like Cat did, which is nearly completely unfair if it doesn't want to change like Cat did."

With Child still staring she adds in, "I'm just worried about Six. I don't want him to get hurt and I'm willing to accept it in as an infant but I… I don't know." She admitted and adjusted her helmet wearily. At this time Child relaxed a bit, "I thought you were trying to say I-… I may not be as involved as Six is going to be but I can't deny him that much. I couldn't deny Cat either, perhaps against my honest judgment that I'm just trying to overlook at the moment." The Warrior sighed and gave him a small smile, "That may be two of us."

Then she looked forward towards the Scientist, "Maybe we should ask Father what he thinks. He's been hiding it with Six, I could tell, so he may have his own opinions." Child seemed hesitant, "I don't know about that. Whenever I know of Father's opinions it immediately changes my own. While I love Father to death, my opinion is all I have." The Warrior saw right through him, "You're just afraid that he'll start poking around in the ever-suspicious work of Machine building. I'll just ask him myself." She gave him a playful smile and walked ahead to catch her parent.

She actually took a few minutes before she fully asked Julius about it. If Child would have said he felt it was too awkward to talk to his parent about this then Seven would have understood. The last thing she wanted was for her parent to think that she was second guessing him in any way. "About Six…" she started somewhat quietly and Julius looked to her, patiently waiting for her to finish. "Is it not… A bit risky to have such a dangerous Beast among us? Do you think Six can handle it?"

Julius seemed to answer too quickly and stumbled over his words a bit, "I-well-I think that Six has a soft heart and I think that an infant of any kind shouldn't be left alone, even if it's a Beast. I also trust Six well enough and…" he faded out for a few seconds before asking, "Seven, Child, be honest, did I make a mistake? Was my judgment clouded by my need to appease him?" Seven's answer was interrupted by Child, "Of course not, Father. As usual, you did what you thought was best, what was morally right."

The female was almost amused by exactly how defensive Child became. "I am just… Very unsure." Julius started before he suddenly perked at the sound of voices. "Eight, please, come back!" A voice called pitifully and Julius looked to the two Stitchpunks by his side. "Was that Six?" He began to lead the two back towards the camp where a scene was occurring. "Keep that thing away from me!" Eight called back in an angry growl as he stormed towards the tree that was now in view.

On the way he noticed the three returning and looked at them briefly before looking forward as he stormed off in an undisclosed direction. Six followed him helplessly, tossing the baby Tailor into Five's hands as he continued after the large male. "I-I knew you would be upset. I was… I was afraid to tell you!" he managed to catch up with Eight who stopped and fell into his back before falling back onto the ground. A moment of déjà vu passed from a time long ago as Eight looked back at him, but the anger on Eight's face was like nothing Six had seen aimed towards himself.

"We have nothing to talk about." He growled as Six stumbled to stand, "After everything I've put up with through this I've always let it go because I've been able to forget about it. Even when you were at your worst I was willing to deal with it, but you knew, you know that thing- You brought that thing- Forget it!" With that he turned and continued off on his way in an angered fit. Six's face contorted and he went to follow before Cat hurried over, dropping a claw on his shoulder, "Let him go cool off. If you follow him he's just going to change direction, and the last thing we want is for him to come this way again."

By this time Seven, Julius, and Child approached, the Scientist immediately going to the Artist's side, "You told him." He said sympathetically and Six gave a sad smile, "Yeah…" he merely answered before letting his head drop in defeat. The oldest put an arm around him and pulled him into a comforting embrace. "It didn't go well I see." Seven remarked to Cat who scratched at the back of his neck, "Not at all, Dove. Not at all." She then looked back to Five who was now juggling both Twelve and the Tailor with Twenty-One clinging to his leg, "But at least you're all okay."

"Oh yeah, we're fine." Five forced a somewhat disturbed smile and the Tailor wriggled despondently in his grasp, him juggling to keep from dropping it, "Everyone's just a little tense about seeing Eight so upset. It's okay, Twenty-One, he was just surprised." The small Stitchpunk still had a potent frown and buried his head into the back of Five's leg. It was around this time when the twins appeared as well and wandered over to Five on instinct to help him, curiously looking at the Tailor beast and studying its body.

None nearly ran to the group, "Hey!" he called to attention before stopping, noticing the weird behavior, "We just… What happened?" Child crossed his arms, "Eight happened, he had an episode. Where's Nine?" None gestured towards the river, "He swam across and can't get back so he's sort of stuck over there." Child promptly let his arms fly into the air, "Oh good God!" To which Julius immediately reminded, "Language, Child." Thoroughly scolded, the albino rubbed his optics with frustration before exhaling, "I'll just get him myself."

He then began to wander off and the others stood there somewhat hesitantly for a while. It was only a good ten or fifteen minutes when One and Two arrived back at camp where Two immediately hurried to his children and embraced them. "Now where were you two hiding?" He playfully asked, covering his worry, and Five added in, "Ah… Better yet, what happened to your back?" The Inventor sputtered, "My back?" The apprentice insisted, "There's dirt all over your back."

To which the older chuckled, "Oh! I… uh… fell?"

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**Mable: An awkward place to end it, but, eh, I didn't have much more I could put here. The next chapter will be posted tomorrow!  
Oh! By the way; I'm starting to see Christmas commercials!... Incredibly early, but I plan to soon post a poll of Christmas stories that may be done for this year's Stitchpunk Christmas... Thing. That thing I did last year with the Nutcracker and with a Christmas Carol. Have a suggestion? Please send it in! It's good to get the ideas early so that I can plan them! Thank you!**


	22. Chapter 22: The Organic Hunter

**Mable: In the last chapter Twenty-One and Twelve were reunited with their parents and Eight was more than upset about his situation with the Tailor Beast and Six. Without further ado, the new chapter! I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

* * *

_**Fabric Runs Shallow**_

_Chapter Twenty-Two: The Organic Hunter_

Nighttime came and a fire was started to keep them warm. They hadn't intended on staying, as One reminded them repeatedly in sighs and huffs of annoyance, but Eight had not returned and they couldn't leave without him. Nobody was willing to go searching again either as the Guard had clearly stormed off angry. It didn't help that now Nine was clearly ill. Between staying wet in the cold night and exerting himself so much he had begun to spark with a fever and trembled quite a bit. Usually this would be fixed by cooling him down, but since him being wet and cold assisted it they were somewhat stumped.

Five's method was to put the thickest blanket over his shoulders and let himself warm with natural body heat while Child was instructed to make sure he didn't get too close or too far from the fire. Even when One looked over as he paced he could see Nine shivering, even with the blanket pulled over his shoulders and head like some sort makeshift cloak, and exhaled in annoyance. "We could have found an adequate shelter by now. Where has he gotten to?" Nobody answered because nobody really knew.

Yet it was around this time that the sound of footsteps echoed loudly and the group went even more silent as they realized Eight was coming back. There was a silent agreement to not confront Eight and Six slowly sunk to the ground between Two and Five as he attempted to hide. Apparently One didn't realize that they were trying to stay quiet as he immediately stormed after Eight to demand answers. "And where have you been for the last few hours?!" He asked with obvious anger, but surprisingly Eight seemed fine with ceasing the conversation before it began.

"Yeah, I was gone, but I didn't go anywhere." He then started to wander off again and One called after him, "Now where are you going?" The guard exhaled and looked back, "I'm going off so I don't have to look at that thing." He insisted and waited to be called out on it. Instead, One didn't. One clearly disliked Eight's behavior, but wasn't about to defend the Tailor Beast that he didn't exactly agree with either. Though he soon started again, "Eight, it's time I gave you some advice-."

The conversation was abruptly interrupted by shaking in the tree branches of the tree they were camping under. Both One and Eight looked upwards in alarm as they saw movement in the leaves. "-What?!" One asked himself before turning back towards the others to warn them. Angry or not Eight cast aside his emotions and followed at the Leader's tail. They bounding up caught the others' attention who had heard the noises in the leaves. "Get down!" One called to the ground, "It's a Winged Beast! Get down!"

This seemed to make the most sense and most of the Stitchpunk started to grab their things and look around desperately. Unfortunately around the tree was an open area where they were in immediate danger, which meant the safest option was to hide amongst the twisting roots. As Five helped Child and None move Nine under one he pulled out his spyglass and used it to look into the tree branches and called, "It's not a Winged Beast!" Yet before he could finish it set its eyes on Eight and dove for him.

Thankfully the Guard was alerted with a cry of, "Eight!" and saved from the mighty talons by a glass inkwell flying by his head and smashing into the creature. It had a moment of stumbling in flight in which Eight unsheathed his knife and swung at the creature, only getting the edge and watching as the feathers he cut fell to the ground. As it took to the sky once again they realized that One was wrong, it wasn't a Winged Beast at all. In fact, it wasn't even a Machine. It was a large bird with many dark feathers and wide eyes that focused on the group.

"A bird…" Seven murmured before feeling a clawed hand resting on her arm and looking back to see Cat who reminded, "You don't suppose that the birds are still rabid, do you?" She gasped a bit in surprise as she remembered back to her tale from before. The birds had been acting strange after the war and no doubt this one was different. She boldly dropped her helmet down, "We'll have to take it down." Suddenly Julius grabbed her, Cat jumped back a bit, and spoke, "No! Seven, that bird is much too dangerous."

He looked upwards as it perched on a branch watching them. "It's an owl, a carnivore, and it thinks that we are either mice or rabbits. It's probably hungry…" He then grew more firm, "But Owls are strong and if one gets one of us in its claws, which it will try to, and flies out of reach then it- It's just more trouble that we need. We can't face it head on." Seven didn't seem to enjoy hearing this as she just wanted to get rid of the creature threatening them, or at least protect the others somehow. "We're still in the open." Two announced to the others, "We must do something."

A few minutes passed and Eight played with the idea of suggesting to throw the Tailor to it, but decided it wasn't the time or place. That's when Seven spoke, "The bramble thicket!" She insisted, "It's off the beaten path, maybe, but the Owl won't be able to get through it and we can leave once it's gone." One scoffed, "If it ever leaves." His voice crackled in protest and he coughed a bit to which Two scolded, "Now you see, I told you that if you kept going that it would go out again."

The Leader growled and Julius insisted, "Owls are nocturnal. It'll leave in the morning." Now Five spoke nervously, "And I don't suppose we can just wait it out?... No? Alright…" He looked through the spyglass again. "It's still looking this way. Can we distract it?" He offered and the others tried to think it over before Eight suddenly spoke. "Give me something to throw in the water." He insisted to the group and None perked, "Okay!...Like a rock?" Eight huffed, "Either a rock or that thing."

Then gestured back towards the Tailor and Six looked downwards, knowing that it wasn't as much of a threat as a reminder that he was still angry about the entire event. None had asked about the rock because there was one near his foot and he bent over to lift it, noticing his twin sitting nearby. Child was holding him close and upwards, preparing to carry him if and when necessary. "Watch him, Child." He instructed and carried the stone to Eight, handing it over to the Guard who readied himself before pitching it through the air and hearing it make a splash.

Five voice immediately whispered, "It's looking away!" At this, One turned to run, grabbing Twenty-One as he sprinted. Again Eight ran beside him, but fell into the back few soon enough. Two hurried along, Five with him, Child carrying Nine, the twins, and in the back being Seven in an attempt to watch the Owl. They weren't very far along when the Owl suddenly was flying overhead. If it was not crazed then it was starved as it wasn't prepared to give in.

Thankfully it wasted its time circling and trying to get a proper position and target before, suddenly, it swooped down toward the middle area of the group. "Look out!" Five called as he pushed Two forward and None, who was beside him, away. Though the next thing he knew a talon locked onto his back, tripping him but not stopping as it started to ascend. The Stitchpunks were quick; Two leapt upwards and grabbed onto Five's midsection. Three and Four joined him and soon Eight and One were even grabbing on.

There were a few tugs on each side, but and forth, before Seven launched her spear forward and sliced part of the leg, watching as ruby fluid leaked out. The owl released Five who fell to the ground. Thankfully, he was pulled to his feet and the group continued to run, the Owl taking to the skies once again. Finally they started to make it to the brambles and One led them insides, sprinting into the opening and waiting only for Two before hurrying back. The others hurried inside the protection of the gnarled trees.

Seven heard it coming and mistakenly thought that if she dove she would just miss the talons, but as she burst through the guarding wall of foliage she suddenly felt something clamping around her midsection. She dug her spear into the ground to keep firm, but the Owl who was now perched behind her was determined and drug her backwards. She pulled forward, desperately trying to escape, and suddenly a blur of claws and growling sounds flew by and lunged onto the owl's feathery body, diving through the thick layers and slashing deep at the flesh underneath.

She knew it was Cat and tugged tighter at the Owl's talons. Suddenly they slipped and nearly came completely off of her before clamping on her back and digging in. Unfortunately for the bird Seven had already been injured in her back before and the scarred area was slightly number, so she ripped herself forward and was able to tear herself free, even if it meant that her stitches were opened once again. She could feel her flap of a patch hanging off and down on her lower back and it may have startled her more that the actual pain had.

A few steps forward before she looked back just in time to see Cat leap into the brambles, the Owl diving forward and attempting to plant its beak into Cat as he escaped its reach. His fabric was stained in spots of red that Seven recognized as blood and she beckoned him, "Hurry up! Get away from it!" Cat sprinted forward and she turned to run, suddenly finding it a little difficult to move as her back pain started to set in. Even reminding herself that it was just a fabric wound didn't prod her on quicker, unfortunately, and this meant she was still in danger.

Thankfully Cat put an arm around her top half and nearly dragged her back into the forest. Past the brambles and under the trees where thick moss grew and the Owl couldn't reach them. Soon she could no longer even hear it behind them as she stumbled up to the others. They had stopped beside an area of moss that looked surprisingly flooded, greenery still growing out of the water and softened dirt, and most of the others were sitting down to rest. Cat guided her over to a rock before helping her sit down.

"I'm fine, just tell me how bad it is." She instructed and he leaned back to look at the damage, making a hissing noise of concern, "Got you good." He murmured, resting a claw underneath the hanging piece of fabric, "But it's just the patch, I think." He looked over, "Five, can you come look at this?" Five was the only one immediately able to help as Two was looking over Nine. Five hurried over and came behind Seven, "…Well, we knew this would be a problem in the future." He remarked somewhat melancholy, "but the patch is in good condition. I'll just need to stitch it again."

He rested his bag beside Seven who looked over at curiously and noticed a piece of cloth sticking out of it. Gently she pulled it out as Five began to pull thread out to lace the needle. She turned it over in her hands before looking over towards Cat who standing nearby, staring back towards where the Owl had been. "Cat." She drew his attention, "Would you mind doing me a quick favor?" She asked and Cat came closer, "Sure, Dove." The pale Stitchpunk handed over the cloth, "Dampen this in the water please."

The male did as instructed and brought the rag back damp, handing it over to the Warrior who then instructed. "Stay here, I can't stand." She insisted and he kneeled down before her. Then she gently took his arm and began to dab over the crimson spots in an attempt to wipe them away. "You don't want these kind of stains on you." She insisted as she began to wipe them away why they still were wet. The Beast turned Stitchpunk loyally kneeled there as he was clean, a low purr in his chest that she couldn't hear, accepting the touches as though she was grooming him.

Of course the tender smile she gave him only made it better as he attempted to catch one of her hands in his claws to caress, missing as she continued to work. While she did stop occasionally from a wince as Five stitched her back together once again into a whole. While they had their moment Six was nearby contemplating what to do next. Eventually his drew his attention to Two and the feverish Nine, if only to wonder if either of them would be able to watch Shoestring. Finally he sought out Julius who was sitting with the twins and One watching the little ones who were visibly upset about the appearance of the Owl.

"Papa?" He asked softly, "Watch Shoestring? I… I need to talk to Eight." If he looked he could see that Eight was on the other side of a thin berry bush sitting alone. "Of course." Julius simply offered, not asking anymore and taking the small Beast that protested being relieved of Six's grasp. It watched the Artist as he left and made a rattling noise of distress, but Six knew he had to confront Eight before this got any farther out of hand. He wandered under the bush and somewhat looked at the berries which he realized quickly looked firm and dry. They weren't any good for making ink.

As he appeared behind Eight he got the courage to speak rather quickly, "Eight… Can we talk?" The Guard was, as expected, still in a poor mood, "Whose 'we'? Did you bring that thing out here with you?" The Artist was actually just a tiny bit exasperated and he huffed, "No, Eight, you and I have to talk, please." Still, Eight protested, "I told you before, there's nothing we need to talk about." Suddenly Six had a flair of emotion and did the only thing he could think of at the moment. He ripped a berry from the branch and pitched it over to his the back of Eight's head, which he now considered very thick.

"What was that?!" Eight asked in near disbelief and looked back where Six plucked another and sent it across the way. Eight put his arms up this time to block it, but Six was already picking more to pitch across the way. "Stop that!" Eight called out as he started to stand, attempting to shield himself, and Six continued to throw. "No!" He cried defiantly as he pitched one to strike Eight on one of his buckles, doing no damage but making him finally snap and start taking after the smaller who turned and ran.

Six walked awkwardly, he talked awkwardly, but when he ran it was anything but awkward. He moved very quickly and only slowed down to zoom under the bush and grab another berry. He would then throw it and see if it struck Eight. His aim was beginning to suffer from his running though. Finally Six dash down into a rut in the ground filled with short grass and only here did he give Eight a mark advantage when he stumbled and rolled down the hill. He got to his feet, but it wasn't quickly enough and Eight's hand latched onto him.

Six gave an odd cry and Eight suddenly announced, "That's it, you're going in the water." Six rebutted with a, "No!" Though it evolved to a small bit of giggling that he couldn't control. It only grew worse when Eight decided to point out, "It's not funny!" That's when Six lapsed into a fit of laughter and whether or not Eight was still angry he allowed a bit of a chuckle go through. The entire thing was so absurd, but considering that they were both being absurd it seemed a bit more amusing then it probably was. Instead of dropping him in the water he carried Six back up the hill to the rock he was sitting on.

He meant to drop Six onto the grass, but he lowered the male too far so it was more like he just rolled the Stitchpunk onto the grass. Then he went to sit on the same rock as before, crossing his arms in an attempt to show that he was still upset even though he had caved. Six looked at him for a few seconds with a tender smile, stretched out on the grass comfortably. Then he sat up, stood up, and crossed over to the larger male before wordlessly perching himself in his lap and attempting to slip under his arms, which Eight allowed only because he didn't want to wrestle with him yet.

The striped one nuzzled into his chest affectionately, petting his upper buckle and being all around loving, even when he should have still been upset. Unfortunately for Eight he was won over almost instantly by the smaller one's cute charm and held him close, petting his yarn topped head gently. "Eight…" Six started quietly, "Can you just meet him? Please?" Eight visibly winced as he realized that he walked right into this, but now he was stuck in an awkward position. To either say 'no' and have Six upset or say 'yes', have to suffer through looking at it, and then have Six cuddling again.

Six might has well been the only Stitchpunk that would've made a good ragdoll and whether or not he was still upset, he was, he wasn't ready to lose everything that he had chased so hard to get. "Get it." He caved tiredly and Six eagerly hopped off of his lap before hurrying off. Eight only had a second to rub his head tiredly before Six appeared once again, holding the little Beast in his grasp as he moved to sit back in the Guard's lap before he could protest. Thankfully it had quieted down and had its head curled into Six's neck, so Eight didn't actually have to see much of it.

He leaned back to avoid it as Six explained, "This is Shoestring, again, he's very sweet." He rolled the worm-like creature over in his arms as it balled up in protest. It was obviously uneasy from the previous separation and Six showed it to Eight, "He doesn't have arms yet, but I think he will. You can feel moving underneath here like there's little nubs. He doesn't have a doll head either, but he may-…" Eight interrupted him, "I know what a Seamstress looks like." Six corrected, "Actually, he's a Tailor. There's a difference."

"Yeah, a size difference." Eight remarked and Six sighed a bit before looking down at Shoestring who, as usual, stared at him blankly. "Eight, I'm not asking you to touch it or to take care of, I just want to you to say it's okay for me to." The Guard cursed his luck; Six had the remarkable talent of making himself vulnerable and it left the Guard with nothing to do except cave. "Fine. Just don't make me sleep with it or anything." He insisted and Six smiled wide before agreeing eagerly, pressing back into the Guard who was split on touching Six as it meant getting closer to the Tailor in his grasp.

Finally he simply caved. He wasn't going to be kept away from Six by something so small and defenseless. After all, it couldn't do too much, and he doubted it could get much bigger.

Eight didn't face denial well.

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**Mable: Prepare for daily uploads again next Sunday, but I need a few days off to get my thoughts together. I hope everyone enjoyed!**


	23. Chapter 23: The Continued Secrets

**Mable: Here's chapter twenty-three and the beginning of a new story arc! I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

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_**Fabric Runs Shallow**_

_Chapter Twenty-Three: The Continued Secrets_

Five raised his harpoon as he peered around the interior of the Library before calling back to the rest of the group. "It's the same as it was! Nothing's been inside!" He could tell by the stacks of books still being the same that nothing had been in and looking back into the courtyard he could see the others. The rest of the trip had worn them down the rest of the way and they were ready to get inside. Especially with how the wind was quickening outside. The clouds were thick and gray, preparing to release a bounty of rain down upon the Emptiness once again.

All of the Stitchpunks were eager to return. The twins immediately dismissed themselves to go take some of their findings to be catalogued, such as a leaf they had found on the way home, some of the rice that survived past the Seamstress attack, and naturally the memories which they were determined to find a way to imprint onto their large book. Four rushed off with a wave and Three with a quick peck on Five's cheek. The Healer rubbed his own cheek affectionately before waving after them as they disappeared into the back of the Sanctuary.

The rest boarded into the bucket lift except for Eight who agreed to stand guard until the twins were ready to head upstairs. It was late morning so he knew he was probably biting off quite a bit of guarding time, but since Six had made it clear that he wanted to make a bed for the Tailor he assumed that he would prefer finding something else to do. When the lift stopped in the throne room he hurried out before looking over at the Healer and Inventor who were willing to help him make a bed for the small Beast.

Meanwhile, Nine was in a quite unfortunate situation. "Child, I'm fine, my fever went down hours ago." He nearly pleaded with the male who was carrying him into his own room. "I'm fine now." Child was determined, though. "Do you realize how quickly you went from fine delirious? All I am asking for is a couple of hours for you to rest. It'll pass in a soul pulse." Nine wasn't too certain, but as he was led into the dark room the familiar smell of wood and fresh bedding was actually quite relieving. "A couple of hours is all?" He double checked, to which Child agreed.

Now back at home, Nine wanted to help the others in settling back in but was now trapped into bed rest as permitted by Child, but as he laid down on the bed he decided to just go with it. He was tired anyway and when the other male laid beside him it felt less lonely. He allowed himself to embrace the other and let his body rest as suggested. With this, time went on. Both babies were put down for naps, even though Twenty-One insisted that both 'he was a baby' but 'he didn't want a nap'. One migrated to his throne, Seven to rest as well, Cat guiding her, and Julius down into the Library again.

The rain suddenly opened and let down onto the Sanctuary in an abrupt rush. It was the heaviest rain they had since perhaps the flood from back some time ago and managed to send a dull yet loud noise through the entire Sanctuary and Library. It rained and rained. Eight eventually had to move his guarding position at the front door because it was raining so hard the water was starting to splash in on him. Instead he moved to help Julius who was looking for one specific book in an entire library of information.

Around this time the twins were getting a bit weary. They enjoyed cataloguing, it was there life, but when there was nothing to catalogue it was virtually impossible to get anything done. The two wanted to do something else, anything else, but everything seemed like it was just out of reach. That was, until they came with a new idea, knowing what they wanted to do with their time. If the twins were any way childish it was their fondness for 'hide and seek', a game which they only recently learned the title to. The others still incorrectly called it whatever they thought sounded best.

The twins decided that they wanted to play, but playing with the two of them would not be fun at all as usually they both knew where their twin was almost every moment of the day. So they needed someone else to play. First they went upon None who wasn't doing anything anyway and agreed right away. Then they popped into the Workshop. Five was in the process of sanding down the edge of an unfinished, wooden cradle when Three approached and tapped him on the shoulder playfully. "Afternoon, Love." He greeted pleasantly, "What are you doing?"

The twin covered her eyes and uncovered them a few times, which signaled the game, and Five guessed, "The finding game?" Three nodded and beckoned him questioning to. "Sure! I have to just finish this." Two cut him off from nearby. He was looking over Tailor curiously as he took a break from work. It was laying on a bundle on the bench beside Six who drew on the floor. "Go on ahead! I can finish this on my own, go spend some time with the twins." Five was unsure, but smiled at the offer and placed the sandpaper onto the workbench before following Three out.

The Stitchpunks prepared quickly and None volunteered to be the seeker. He leaned against the wall and counted down from twenty as the others hurried off. As they were in the sanctuary and not in the Library they used the back hall and rooms which weren't currently in used. Three and Five ran together and huddled into a back storage room that was somewhat incomplete still. Five wedged himself behind a stack of boxes while Three kneeled down behind an unfinished bedframe that had looked like it was no longer being worked on. Four had hid inside of Julius' room beside the storage room and hid under the bed.

None heard them rushing into the back and hurried after them, passing Julius' room and hurrying into the back hall where he looked at the remaining rooms. As the one was complete empty, the one at the end was the obvious choice and he looked in at the storage room filled with boxes and furniture that needed repair. He was nearly about to find Five when Four decided to try something risky. With that she climbed out from under the bed and peeked out of Julius' room before beginning to sprint down the hall.

None heard the footsteps and looked back to catch a glimpse of the twin. To both Three and Five's surprise he took after her. A few seconds they sat there in the room before Five looked to Three, "Ah… What's the chance that we lost them for good?" Three shrugged playfully before releasing her own giggle as Five migrated from his hiding spot to get over to Three's side, sitting down beside her and smiling before putting an arm around them, waiting for whenever None would come back to find them.

Four surprise too as she was dashing down the hall and looked back just in time to have None upon her. Her arms went up and her optics flickered rapidly, as though she was squealing from a mix of surprise and delight, None putting his arms around her and beaming playfully, "Got you!" He cried out and his hands began to dance along her sides playfully. She laughed in flickers before pushing him off and turning to face him with a smile. "So what do I win?" He asked innocently, folding his arms behind him, and Four tapped her cheek in thought.

Then she raised a finger in a knowing gesture and stood higher on her feet before leaning forward.

* * *

It was One's voice that caught Nine's attention. Child was asleep under the blankets still so the zippered male sat upwards and listened carefully through the wall. One was clearly ranting about something from the throne room again and Nine was curious as he climbed out of bed and began to cross over to the door before peering out. He soon stepped out, glancing back at Child to make sure he was still asleep before stepping out into the hall and walking down towards the throne room.

As expected, One was bellowing angrily at a group of four that comprised of Five, None, and the twins. Three was holding Four in reassurance, None was staring with wide eyes, and Five was in a constant state of rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "To have the nerve for something like this?! Did you really think that I, your Leader, wouldn't figure out what was going on?!" Nine found a tinge of exasperation as he started over, "Is this about the hiding game?" The Leader turned to look at the zippered male with annoyance.

Nine himself had heard the talking and counting in the hall so he already knew what was going on and was exasperated with such behavior. One wasn't always completely understandable, but this was nearly ridiculous. The Leader scoffed, "A game? You think this is about a game? Then you must either be a fool or barging in without any knowledge, as you usually do." He pointed out sharply and Nine put his arms into the air in exasperation, "Alright then, One, if it's not about the game then why are you yelling at them?"

The Leader's glare intensified, "An older male and a younger female, going at it in such a way, kissing, and then having the audacity to lie about it?! Why does everyone feel the need to lie in this blasted Sanctuary?!" Now Nine was purely amused and looked to the others with that before saying, "One, everyone knows about Five and Three! They've been together since… More than a few months." He insisted and the Leader looked at Nine like he was a fool, "Five and- I meant your twin which, I'm sure, you knew about as well."

He questioned and Nine stared as his smile drop. His optics flickered over to None who immediately looked downwards at the floor. "I… What?" One spoke, "I have been very patient with this new trend of relationships spring about, but when it is purposely hidden from me, only so that they can begin kissing in plain sight! As though you are all mocking me!" Now Five spoke, "One, wait-." That's when Nine interrupted, voice somewhat trying to recover but not hiding the shock well, "One, nobody's hiding anything from you. This-."

Now he was cut off by a soft cry from the other room followed by Twenty-One calling, "Baby crying!" As though to remind his parents. One looked to the group briefly before announcing, "This isn't the last of this." Then went off to seek his children. While Nine should have been wondering what sent One into a grouchy mood, guessing it was the long trip, he was more curious about the information that he had just received and looked to his twin. "None?" He asked quietly and None looked at his twin with a look of dread, "Uh… It's a… It's a long story…"

He then looked to Five to point out what happened as he himself felt unable to admit to his twin. The Healer rubbed the back of his neck as he approached Nine, "Ah… None and Four were playing the finding game with Three and he…" He looked to None who murmured, "Caught her." Five nodded, "Yeah, he caught her and then they…" Four pointed to her own lips and then to None. "Four kissed None and One saw." The zippered one paused before smiling, "I can't understand why One was acting so erratic over something as little as that."

This abruptly relieved both None and Four whose faces turned into gentle smiles. Nine chuckled before patting None's shoulder in a brotherly fashion, "So how was your first kiss?" It was a friendly and playful question as he nudged the younger male whose smile diminished a bit. The twins especially seemed to find anything else more interesting while Five watched the two before making his own playful remark, "That was some game, wasn't it?" Any comfort he was trying to give was tossed aside when None spoke. "Nine… It wasn't my first kiss."

He looked over at Four before staring at his own feet, "It wasn't _our _first kiss." For a second Nine's brows furrowed before realization struck his face once again. Even with the subtle comment he knew what None was suggesting and the younger twin admitted, "Four and I… We've been together for a while now…" He explained. Nine just stared. "I was going to tell you but we were afraid." He insisted, "It's not like Five and Three; they knew each other for years so everyone could excuse the age difference, but with us…"

He looked guilty, his face was marred by the weight he had been carrying on his shoulders, and Nine found the words blurting out, "I already know." None was taken aback in surprise by the comment. "You… You do?- Did? How?" The older patted his shoulder, "I… I had a feeling. Like the other day at the lake, you were pretty certain." He insisted and the younger smiled at the touch and comment, "So you aren't angry?" The older smiled, "Of course not! It's love, that's all that matters."

Before None could say anymore Nine suddenly decided to dismiss himself, "I should probably go see if Child's going to get out of bed of he won't get to sleep tonight. The last thing we need is for him to pull an all-nighter." He then headed back across the throne room, waving to the four as he left. None seemed a bit uneasy before looking to Five, "Is that a good sign that he ran?" Five smiled a little, "He's just adjusting slowly, but see? Everyone's going to be fine with it." Four crossed over to None and hugged him, he held her close and tried comforting her after such a traumatic event with the Leader.

"One didn't take it well." Five glanced to Three before casually remarking, "I don't like to say things about One, but he doesn't take anything well… Or, at least, drastic changes." He suddenly got paranoid, expecting One to be hiding in the hall nearby and added the last part in. None still petted Four's back with the upmost affection before pulling back enough to smile at her, "Let's not let this ruin the day. Up for another round?" The younger smiled and nodded before the group continued their game once again.

Nine wandered back into Child's room and flopped down to sit beside him on the bed. The other male turned over tiredly and stared at the number on his back silently. Then Nine spoke, "None and Four have become a couple." Child responded with, "Congratulations, you've acquired the talent of gossip." The tan male laid back on the foot of the bed, "Just telling you because I trust you… Trust you enough to tell me why my twin brother didn't trust me enough to tell me." Child sat up in bed tiredly and looked down at him.

"You don't care that they are a couple, you just care that None didn't tell you?" Nine nodded. "Reasonable enough, I suppose." He paused before reaching out and petting Nine's head affectionately, like he was grooming him. The younger merely let his optics closed and sighed into the petting, enjoying it. "Poppet, I think you're overthinking things again." Child clicked his mouth in a knowing fashion, "You forget that we dealt with this same problem only a few days ago with Six. He was hiding something out of fear that it wouldn't be accepted."

"That was different." Nine declined, "Six was hiding the Beast because he knows how much Eight despises Seamstresses. None is hiding Four; I don't hate Four, nobody hates." Child suddenly murmured, "I love the occasional simplicity in your thinking pattern." Naturally Nine took this somewhat offensively and remarked, "You can't say that you've never thought simply before either, especially involving something you care about." Child accepted the challenge with a playful smirk, "Well then, name one."

"My hips." A few seconds of silence passed as Child's smirk slowly dropped and Nine got his own somewhat smug look. Finally Child outright caved, "Fine then, so let's assume your reasoning is sound, what really bothers you about this entire thing? That the two coincidently chose the same time to do this? If None and Four are established they probably have been together for a while, and not even I knew about it. So it is nothing for you in particular to feel ashamed about." Yet Nine merely answered with, "Five."

"Five?" Child asked, "Five is your best friend. Why would he play a part in this? Because he didn't tell you himself?" The younger sat upwards and balanced on the edge of the bed as he stared at the wooden floor beneath his feet. There was that odd dismal look that Nine barely seemed to get, but when he did it usually signaled that he was very upset. "They both told and trusted Five, and I understand because Five's a good friend and would never try to hurt anyone…" He paused then added in, "One and Seven might be hard to tell as once one knows the other knows, and when they have conflicting views…"

"They're far on each side of the spectrum." Child agreed and Nine raised a brow before continuing, "Right, and of course nobody wants to disappoint father, Two figures out everything on his own, and you… I guess they can't tell when the sarcasm is friendly or when it's mean spirited." Child murmured in with, "That's probably for the best." To which Nine finished with, "I try not to be biased and I try to put everyone else's feelings before my own opinions in these times. I've never told anyone that I didn't think they should be with someone… So why do they trust Five more than me?"

"Because you gossip?" Child asked cynically and Nine gave him a look of unhelpfulness. "You're middle ground, Nine. They don't want too many of us to know or it will spread, so they only told one or two, and as Five is the quietest they assume he is the best choice." He then added in reference, "I have never been malicious while holding secrets, never blackmailed anyone- and I'll be damned if I couldn't- But I am not the first one who comes to mind. They prefer you over myself at least." Nine was still slumped and Child added in, "You can keep one of my secrets."

Nine blinked but was a little unsure, as he already knew most of Child secrets, and offered, "Alright, what is it?" The pale male slid behind him, wrapping his arms around him and letting his hands rest on his thighs. "I absolutely adore your hips." At least Nine finally broke into a chuckle.

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**Mable: Well, this had a long time coming. I was supposed to save it for a few chapters but I thought about it and decided to write it in earlier. There's no use in stalling the reveal any longer. ^-^ Anyway, next chapter will be posted tomorrow, I hope everyone enjoys!**


	24. Chapter 24: The Innocent Life

**Mable: Here's chapter twenty-four! I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

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_**Fabric Runs Shallow**_

_Chapter Twenty-Four: The Innocent Life_

It was the second day of heavy rain and Eight was awaking to it. It seemed to be early morning and was most likely still dark outside so he didn't outright jump to getting out of bed. He could feel fabric pressed against his back, warm and soft, and for a second he wondered whether or not he was willing to roll over to see if it was him or the Beast. Just thinking that the Beast was pressed against his back made him cringe in distress and he slowly turned over to figure out what he was going to do. Thankfully as he looked back he realized it was just Six who had his back pressed against his.

He had expected that Six would retrieve the Tailor after he was asleep and glad he didn't. Fully rolling over he strewn his arm around the smaller form, his hand resting upon some sort of fabric bit that was significantly smaller. The second his hand laid on the fabric a dull rattling suddenly filled the air and Eight's optics shot open. He drew back abruptly and sat upwards, waking Six in the process who could now be seen cuddling the Tailor infant, Shoestring, to his front. He looked back at Eight with a somewhat guilty expression and Eight pointed out, "I thought that we talked about this."

He pointed out, "Doesn't it have a bed?" The younger held the small creature closer, "He wanted to sleep with us tonight." The Guard was clearly not sympathetic and the striped one climbed out of bed before kneeling down beside the cradle, laying the tiny Beast down into it. Two had done a great job with it and it looked good enough to be a Stitchpunk baby's crib. As he tucked Shoestring under the small, blue blanket he began to hum in an attempt to ease it. Its optic shut slowly and Six climbed back into bed almost sluggishly.

The Guard put an arm around the small one's frame and pulled him closer to his chest, inhaling his scent and letting his body relax, falling back towards sleep. Or, it was, until suddenly a soft noise started to call through the room. It was a soft chirp that sounded almost like a squeak, calling through the room as the Guard tried to ignore it. Unfortunately it started to slowly grow louder and louder in the dark room and eventually Eight must have made a curious noise or something as Six suddenly announced, "It's Shoestring."

"Why...?" Eight drew out tiredly, hand falling over his own face pitifully as Six tiredly explained, "He won't sleep alone. He makes those noises otherwise." Eight immediately spoke, "It's me or it. I'm not sleeping in bed with it." A few seconds passed and the crying continue until Eight started to roll over to get out of bed, "It's him." He announced to which Six shot upwards, "No, don't go!" He pleaded, hurrying over to kneel down beside the cradle and lifting the Tailor. "I'll keep him on my side." He insisted and Eight watched him lay back down before flopping down himself, shaking the bed as he did.

Immediately Shoestring cuddled into Six's front and fell quiet. "Thank Creator." He heard Eight murmured and leaned to rest his head on the male's chest while keeping the little Beast far enough that the Guard didn't get offended. They drifted back off to sleep, but little did they know but they weren't the only ones awake that early in the morning. Over in One and Two's room Twenty-One had awoken and wanted something to do. He knew that his parents were probably fast asleep as he peeked at their sleeping forms together.

He then looked over towards the other crib located in the room and just stared at it. He knew he wasn't supposed to touch the new baby without his parents there, but couldn't help it and casually stood in his crib before attempting to climb over. It wasn't a chore, he had climbed over it many times without One and Two noticing, but now he had to be sneaky and as his feet touched the ground he quietly toddled over to the other crib. He reached upwards and grasped onto the bars of the crib and pulled himself upwards before stopping.

He had been caught. There, in the small bed, was Twelve staring at him. She was laying on her back, but had her head turned to face him, staring through the darkness. "Hi." Twenty-One whispered to her before reaching towards her. He couldn't reach at first as she was in the back, but the second she started grabbing for him their hands touched, and he smiled. "You're good baby." He complimented the tiny one, "Good, tiny, baby." For a second her mouth seemed to grimace and he blinked, "You're sad?"

That's the only thing he could conclude and finished with, "Okay, I'll fix it." He then slowly pulled himself upwards further so that he could climb in her bed. He soon stepped down onto the pink blanket and crouched down beside her to look at her closely. She started to grab at him again as if she wanted something, or this is what he assumed, and he looked around before his optics landed on a small, pink plush that resembled his own. He wasn't sure why it wasn't blue like his, but he grabbed it and showed it to the baby.

Twelve's optics shifted to the doll now and she looked at it before reaching for it, to which Twenty-One handed it over, watching his sister hold it tight before looking upwards at him. He then leaned down and gave her a kiss on the forehead like Papa had done before bed, "Good night, Baby." But the baby didn't go to sleep, it grimaced again, but now that Twenty-One looked closely he noticed that it was actually more of a smile than a grimace. It was the first time that he had seen her smile at anyone or anything and it brought a smile to his own face.

Suddenly he decided that he didn't want to leave the baby and instead started to lay down beside his small sister and put an arm around her protectively. Even at such a young age, Twenty-One felt protective of the baby. She was so much smaller, unable to do the things that he as a 'big boy' could do just fine, and was undoubtedly curious. Even if he was not able to play with her yet he was very interested in what she was and what he wanted to do with her. Such as talk to her and carry her about like a ragdoll.

The tiny one released a small cooing noise of light happiness occurred and Twenty-One cuddled Twelve closer, again happy himself to have a younger sibling. He fell back asleep with visions and dreams of whatever toy he would play with the next day, and of simple visions of getting his sibling to play too. Yet they were not the only ones who were awake in the Sanctuary. They were probably the only ones who had gotten a proper amount of sleep. This would be Nine and Child who were lying in bed until they awoke.

Having slept for most of the day about an hour ago they had awoken and simply laid together since then. There was no talking or anything, just laying together, but eventually the two were seemingly ready to do something. Child climbed to his bed to head to his workbench, stumbling over Pet who then followed him and rubbed on his leg with soft squeaking. He dropped on the chair and began to pet his Training Beast as Nine sat upwards. "What are you doing?" The pale male sort of shrugged, "Looking for something to work on. I must have something that needs to be done."

"Well, I'm awake, and it's a little too early to work." Nine suggested as Child glanced over curiously. "I'm sure we can find some way to entertain ourselves." Child's optics widened and he suddenly stood, nearly alarming Pet and causing Nine to immediately correct, "No, I don't mean _that._" Child sat back down, somewhat disappointed, and Nine pondered before playfully sitting up and suggesting, "Why don't we play the hiding game? We could go down into the Library and hide in the dark."

Child shrugged a bit, resting his head in his hand, "Yes, but it would just be us." He reminded to which Nine added in, "But we could make it fun. Maybe the one who loses has to do whatever the winner chooses." Again Child perked and Nine again repeated, "No, I don't mean _that. _I don't know why your mind always goes to that." Child smiled a little before giving in, "Fine then. The winner chooses an appropriate challenge for the other. Such as a bet or something along those lines."

The zippered male smiled and stood before having a sharp pain in his ankle. "Hey!" He cried in pain and stumbled away from the bed as he noticed Toto who suddenly saw Nine as being too close. He assumed he stepped on her, "Sorry Toto." He apologized and kneeled down, the female leaning out to touch his outstretched hand briefly before heading under the bed again. The Stitchpunk smiled before looking over at Child and quietly asking, "You're sure she's not pregnant, right?" The older stood and declined.

"Positive. After her litter I… Changed a few things- bland details I assure you- and she is not unable to create young. It is for the best; Paint and Button will eventually begin breeding if we are not careful and the entire Sanctuary will be filled with them." The tanned burlap one took his word for it and headed towards the door with Child in tow. In the throne room Nine looked upwards at the wall where Two had recently hung a pocket watch, in fact he was sure Two had did it the day before, and registered that it was only four in the morning.

It would be a while until the sun actually rose so they had a little time of darkness. Though he did head over to the nearby candles to grab a bundle of matches, handing one to Child. "Just in case we need these." He suggested to which Child silently agreed and they boarded the lift before heading down into the dark Library, Nine lighting his first match on the way down. Halfway down he offered, "We need some rules. First of all; we can't go into the Sanctuary or we'll wake the others." Child nodded in agreement and Nine added, "No tricks either. No saying the game is off only to suddenly start again when convenient."

"When have I done that?" Child asked with a raising brow and Nine insisted, "Not you, but it's happened before, and in the end I tackled a table." He explained halfheartedly before adding in, "You hunt me until you catch me and then I hunt you?" Suddenly the pale male paused, his pupils seeming to tremble a little as he stared downwards, "Or, perhaps, we could raise the stakes." Nine looked curious and Child was eager to continue, "One game; I hunt you until either I catch you, the sun rises, or something causes us to stop. You win by not getting caught."

Nine was perplexed, but intrigued, "Alright, sounds interesting. Need some matches?" He offered to Child's declining, "You can use them. Just be reasonable, if I am on the other side of the Library then light one so I can have an idea. Not that I will need one." He added in and Nine agreed as the lift reached the marble ground, "Alright." He lit a match with a playful smile, "Don't look and count down from nineteen. Then come looking and when you can't find me I'll light a match so that you'll get a clue."

Child accepted the smile with an inward smile and turned towards to crank, beginning to count down from nineteen as instructed. "Nineteen…" He murmured, considering what he was going to do. "Eighteen…" The most obvious plan was to cut Nine off without him knowing it. "Seventeen…" He swore he heard Nine heading towards the eastern wing of the Library, which would be the proper direction to go in. "Sixteen…" Something about the thrill of the chase was staring to rise as Child felt his pulse begin to pick speed. He felt the lust of the hunt gnawing at his core.

"Fifteen…" He reached back to undo the hooks on his back and free his extra, metal arms that were more than willing to come free to propel him along. "Fourteen…" His voice wavered with a metallic tinge as it grew more and more desperate. "Thirteen…" he wasn't sure what was about it that set a flame in his soul. "Twelve…" It was maddening, the thrill of the chase, and he felt his optics begin to redden. "Eleven…" If he listened carefully he could still hear Nine's receding footsteps. "Ten…" Part of him was having to fight to keep from abandoning the counting.

"Nine…" he would hunt Nine. "Eight…" He would catch Nine. "Seven…" He had hunted him before. "Six…" He knew exactly what made Nine tick. "Five…" He knew his habits and he knew exactly how to find him. "Four…" After all whether or not he would admit it he had hunted Nine before. "Three…" This time, though, he was going to get ahold of the younger. "Two…" He had to, yet he wasn't exactly sure why. "One…" It was time to go and he pulled back before scanning the Library, then took off.

Nine was actually a bit surprised to hear how quiet it got after Child stopped counting. Other than the occasional tap on an especially hard book cover. The zippered male lowered his match a little bit so that he wasn't as visible and looked back through the darkness before noticing that there was a low red glow from nearby. _"What?" _he asked himself before quickly blowing out the match, "_Taking this a bit too seriously, aren't we?" _He asked himself playfully and turned around to begin hurrying of. He only got about two feet before suddenly something crashed to the ground behind him.

Nine looked back in alarm to see that Child literally slid into the scene, extra arms visible, optics glowing red. Nine looked back for a second before sputtering and breaking into a run, _"He is taking this serious! This is just a game!" _he pointed out in alarm to himself before suddenly feeling that challenge raise, _"He's going hard so he can win… Two can play at that game." _As he hurried around the fountain he studied his surroundings quickly and soon noticed a stack of books up ahead that looked adequate.

One book leaned against the tall, unsteady stack and he could only smirk to himself before running towards it. He cleverly aimed for the book leaning against the stack and slid underneath it, through the opening before running out the side. As expected, Child's over eagerness was his downside, and as he hit the stack of books it toppled over and nearly fell upon him. Somehow he managed to slip back out and yet Nine took this advantage to hurry in the direction of the twins' study. It seemed like a good place to hide and as he hurried in he lit another match that he used to light a small candle.

He wasn't sure how to light the oil lamp on his own, but he did know that the candle gave enough light while perhaps luring Child elsewhere. He then hopped onto the lift and raised himself to a random cubby before hopping inside and keeping watch. However, he immediately realized his mistake the second that Child wandered into the study. The lift gave a clear indication of the area he was in and he mentally cursed himself and noticed that Child didn't notice. Unfortunately, he did, and the next thing he knew a single claw of Child's appeared in the cubby as he started to pull himself upwards.

In a burst of energy Nine ran back towards Child and attempted to leap clean over him and land on the lift, only for a claw to latch on his ankle and for him to smack on the lift instead, having to drag himself upwards as the pale male pulled himself upwards between the cubby and the lift. Nine grabbed onto the release and pulled, sending the lift tilting downwards and causing Child to have to release the lift and merely hang onto the cubby as Nine soon fell off of the lift and onto the ground, quickly standing and beginning to sprint back through the Library.

Nine didn't know where to go next but had an idea. If Child wasn't going to play fair then neither was he, when he ran out of the Library and into the pouring rain he knew that he was probably breaking any logical rules, but still hid behind one of the statues and his lit a match, blocking it from the rain as he waited for the male to come. Yet he never came. He waited a couple of minutes before realizing that Child must have not known where he was. That wasn't as fun as he expected and he decided to light a fire under Child by carrying the match back up the stairs by the entrance.

He stared through the doorway for a few seconds before hearing a low metallic noise from inside. Before he could register if it was a growl or not Child suddenly appeared out of the darkness, sprinting towards him, and Nine only had a second before he was tackled. Unfortunately he had trusted that Child wouldn't tackle him down the stairs, which he did, and they landed in a puddle pooling at the bottom. Nine struggled to pull away from Child to escape, but Child was determined, pinning him down.

A few seconds of wrestling caved once Child managed to hold Nine's wrists above his head, staring down at him with bright, red eyes. A few seconds passed of this as Chile twitched bluntly. A few seconds passed before a smirk stretched across his face, "I win." Nine exhaled at the smirk, partially in exasperation and partially in relief, and smiled a little, "Alright, alright. You win." The pale male stood proudly, redness fading away and he helped his mate up, though by now neither were eager to play another game, what with Child so proud of himself and Nine soaking wet.

The two entered Child's bedroom again, twined with warm smiles, soaked to the bone as Nine searched out something to dry off with. Toto's new nest seemed like the most necessary area and he started over before Child spoke, hanging his cape on the hook, "Want me to get Two's chess set out of the Workshop?" The zippered male smiled at the suggestion, "Sure! It's been a while since I've played a game." The pale male smiled before turning to head out while Nine looked ahead towards the bed.

Now he needed to dry off quickly before the game so that he would feel more comfortable. The rain was exhilarating while it lasted but it was now time to get dry and he kneeled down and touched at the blankets. Toto made a much quieter squeaking noise from before and Nine smiled, thinking she was feeling guilty, "It's okay, Toto, I'm just borrowing a blanket. I'm not upset about earlier." The Training Beast released another tired and quiet peeping noise. As the burlap one pulled the cloth away to dry off he stopped as he got a clear view of the current situation.

"In all of Creation- Child, you said she couldn't get pregnant again!"

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**Mable: Okay end of the chapter; super rushed. Really, really, REALLY bad rush. I hope that it still turns out good. I hope everyone enjoyed!**


	25. Chapter 25: The Downtrodden Warrior

**Mable: Here's chapter Twenty-Six! I don't have much to say tonight so we'll just get on with it. I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

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_**Fabric Runs Shallow**_

_Chapter Twenty-Five: The Downtrodden Warrior_

Seven tended to get a bit of cabin fever when she was unable to leave the Sanctuary. It seemed to especially flair when she knew that they needed supplies that she could easily find. Maybe it was finding Two's little list of supplies that were needed that made her suddenly have the urge to leave. It was a simple list; more extra needles, a few buttons, some extra patching fabric, preferably burlap or canvas, and a thimble. For a second Seven playfully thought that Two was trying to make a second Five then tucked the list into her front and prepared to leave.

She quickly put her helmet on and grabbed her spear while Cat watched from his spot lounging on her bed. She quickly explained to him that she was going out and would be back later, he nonchalantly agreed and watched her walk out the door. It was a shame that the others weren't as passive as she passed through the throne room. It was still raining heavily after days and could be heard through both the vent window and echoing on the roof. Six was sitting in the corner drawing without the Tailor Beast, looking a bit weary.

One was sitting in the throne with Eight nearby, also looking tired as he leaned against the wall. The female started towards the bucket lift where the twins were standing and talking about something, preparing to head down into the library and wondering why there was a small puddle in the lift. "I'll come down with you too." This is when another voice spoke, "Where are you three off to?" Looking back she could see None entering the room, Nine following behind him. Something was odd about None; he seemed strangely quiet even though he spoke out loud.

Seven wasn't sure what was going on but merely responded, "I'm going out for a bit to look for supplies." She announced and both twins perked before looking at each other, Nine offering, "Great. We can go with you." He insisted to which None asked him, "Are you sure? I mean, with Toto how she is?" Nine was insistent, "She's fine. Pet can watch out everything, let me get my staff." He let the room again and the group stood their awkwardly before Eight suddenly spoke, "You know, it's raining outside."

Seven was quick to defend in a slightly short tone, "We know, but Two's eager to get new supplies, and rain is the last of my concern." Eight retorted, "No need to snap at me. Just pointing it out." It was obvious that the Warrior was down about the weather. It seemed that only when Seven was unable to leave did she actually get the uncontrollable need to leave. She adjusted her helmet and didn't respond. After how long Eight had been with One she expected this to be a more One-like comment than one of relative concern of any kind.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you." She apologized, "I didn't get much sleep last night. There was some sort of keening noise all night and I couldn't sleep well." Six flinched at the comment, especially as Eight added in, "I know what you mean." At this time Nine entered into the throne room and added in, "If it was Toto, I'm sorry. She had… A rough night last night." He admitted before whistling into the hall and calling, "Toto! Come on, it's time to go!" The small Training Beast dashed down the hall before running to her owner, unfortunately carrying a small creature in her unseen mouth.

"Oh Toto…" He sighed as he kneeled down, "No, we can't take the baby, go take the baby back in to Pet." One leaned upwards on his throne and murmured, "What is that?" Nine tried to be, and failed to be, inconspicuous as he cupped the small creature in his hand. Toto released it into his hand and released a proud squeak as the zippered male held the small Beast. The tiny creature barely moved and fidgeted in his grasp. One stood and crossed over from his throne, adjusting his cape and barging over to see the small Training Beast in Nine's hands, "I thought that it couldn't reproduce anymore."

Nine shrugged a bit, "Yeah, that's what I thought too, but Child was wrong. At least there was only this one. She only had one." The Leader hummed as he stared at the small creature. At this time Seven quietly spoke, "I'm going to head out then." To which One abruptly stopped, "In a moment, in a moment." Seven exhaled with a huff, becoming slowly antsier with every passing moment. She knew that the rain could only get worse and something about standing there doing nothing was testing her patience for no discernable reason.

One, meanwhile, was very interested in the small beast for whatever reason. Nine found it ironic since only a while back he had remarked about them not being adequately helpful. Either way he stared at the little one until Nine offered. "Want to hold it?" One promptly asked then, "Is it clean?" Nine looked a little amused, "It's a newborn. It probably hasn't touched anything before." The Leader then reached down and offered a hand, which Nine soon placed the small Beast into. One lifted it closer to his face to see it better as the small Beast didn't make more than a quiet squeak.

Toto suddenly decided that she wasn't comfortable with this situation and suddenly nipped at One's ankle. One released a cry as though it had bit clean through his foot and pulled back, Nine immediately stopping Toto. "No, Toto! You know better than to bite!" He scolded. He had excused last night's nip as he figured it was from labor, but the last thing he wanted was for Toto to become aggressive towards the others. He looked to One who was clearly annoyed and insisted, "She's just a little overprotective."

He insisted and One was quick to hand the newborn back into Nine's hands, murmuring, "For a 'Training' Beast, she is not very well trained. However, that one looks young enough that any behavior has not set in yet." The zippered male blinked in confusion and looked back to None who was listening in before kneeling down to give the baby to Toto. Toto lifted the baby with her mouth and started to hurry off. "Nine, I think I might go get a head start." Seven insisted and Nine turned to her, "Here, I'm coming, just a second."

He looked back to One, "You're… Awfully interested in the new Beast." One was quick with an explanation, "Not for myself, of course, but Twenty-One could use a companion. Two and I assumed that Twelve would eventually be a good playmate for Twenty-One. Unfortunately, it has made him only more aware of his want for someone to play with when Two and I are unable to be there." Nine's brows raised in surprise at the admission and One insisted, "It is still small, still controllable, and as such is no threat. Even though yours is, as I can see. However, Eight has enjoyed ownership of his own…"

Trailing off, One expected that Eight was going to chime in, but he didn't as he was half asleep against the wall. "Eight, the Beast." One repeated and Eight perked, "Can't stand it. All the thing does is scream all night." One raised a brow, Nine and None stared, and Six cleared his voice box. "Eight, he means Paint." The Guard corrected himself, "Paint? Paint's fine, she's great." He then fell quiet and Nine nodded, "They're great to have. If you aren't convinced by Toto, then consider Pet. Pet's been a great companion to Child. If Twenty-One took in the new little one he could learn to protect him, to play with him, it would be great."

The more he talked about this the better he felt. He had worried that the new Training Beast wouldn't be able to get an appropriate trainer. "He's still a little young, though, only a day." One stopped him, "I am not letting it near Twenty-One until I know he won't be attacked." He then turned to return to his throne and Nine smiled before turning back to tell Seven he was ready. She was nowhere to be seen and as he looked back he noticed that the bucket lift had already been lowered. "Did she leave?" He asked the twins and they, looking somewhat surprised, nodded.

"I guess I kept her waiting too long…" He murmured with guilt to which None insisted, "My small talk didn't help. 'Guess what Four and I decided to do?'" He playfully pointed out, but the twins were unsure. As they looked down after the bucket lift they were concerned. Three reminded Four that they had seen this before with Seven a while ago. Four pointed out that Seven had told them before not to focus on that one incident, but of course Three couldn't help but worry.

Maybe the others hadn't ever noticed, but this uneasy and standoffish behavior was what struck before she had fled the Cathedral with her. Last time they had eagerly went with her, but this time their saddened looks already showed that they were getting second thoughts. They had their significant others here, they had Julius, they couldn't leave like last time, and they only hoped that she hadn't realized this and already fled. Four insisted that they had to do something, Three asked what they should do, and Four insisted that they go to seek help from another source.

With that they went to ambush Cat in the hall.

* * *

Seven hadn't gotten too far into the Emptiness before she had decided to stop. She had taken off alone but now wasn't exactly sure where to go. She sat down upon a remarkably large can that had been opened and cleaned out long before. The rain still trickled down and she was slowly getting soaked with it. The small, clear pearls dripped onto her skull helmet and rolled down it before dripping to the ground below. She stared at one of the drops of water before slowly pulling her helmet off.

Letting it rest in her lap as she stared upwards into the gray sky above, smeared with patches of white that somewhat suggested a thinning in the clouds from somewhere or another. One raindrop landed on her optic lens and splattered into a dozen miniatures. She stared at them, resembling crystals, and felt herself ease into submission. This was why she needed to get outside; she just needed to get some room to breathe. She wasn't sure why she was feeling so tense, but it was nice to get the taste of freedom.

That's when she heard shuffling nearby. Her head immediately snapped downwards and she griped her helmet harder before pausing to listen. She then exhaled and waited, hearing the creeping of footsteps around her but feeling no fear. She recognized the scraping and noises, so she didn't stay on guard, she merely waited until she felt the claws on her shoulders. The purring gave him away completely and she asked, "Out for a walk, Cat?" A low chuckle and the claws slid down as the arms draped around her, Cat giving an embrace from behind.

"Out getting soaked, Dove?" he retorted and pulled back to sit beside her, having climbed onto a matchbox to get behind her and now sitting alongside. He draped his claws now over his legs and stared at nothingness ahead. "I thought you couldn't stand water." Seven remarked to the male's amusement, "It's not the same thing." He paused, "Or maybe it is. Still, I was willing to come out here to find you. The twins said you took off on your own." The Warrior looked down at her helmet. Part of her felt like she wanted to put it back on, but she really didn't feel like she wanted to physically.

"I was losing the day just waiting around for One and Nine to finish." She pointed out and Cat smile surprisingly dropped, "Yeah, well, the twins were convinced you bailed." He pulled his leg upwards to rest on the can, resting his hand on his knee and staring at the scenery. If there was any. About ten feet away there was a brick wall made of fading, red clay that blocked any further vision. Seven wasn't sure why she decided to face the wall; maybe it was because there was a knocked over telephone pole on the other side which seemed even less interesting to look at.

"They brought up a very interesting subject." He pointed out and Seven got a bit of a smile, "It sounds like you understand them better than I do." He got a bit of a smile back, "I had to get Five and Nine to help translate. They're all pretty worried about you." He paused briefly then asked, "So they said you took off before." The Warrior grew defensive, but showed it with a soft exhale and an explanation. "That was… Different… You think One and I fight now? It was nothing like at the Cathedral. He had become insane with power and I was young and headstrong. So I took the twins and left."

She huffed a bit, "It seems that everyone thinks that I'm going to leave again, but I guess they just don't realize that I have nowhere else I can go. That I love them, even if they can get heavy in the head sometimes, One especially. I wouldn't just abandon them." Cat nodded and shrugged casually, "They probably think time's going to repeat itself if you get discouraged enough. You're the last person they want to lose, you know?" The Warrior decided to be playful to shrug off the slight embarrassment from taking advice from Cat of all people, "Time repeats itself? Does that mean you're planning to go hunt Two?"

The Beast turned Stitchpunk obviously was ready to play as well, "Hell yes. I'm just waiting for him to recovery from the baby and I'll be on him like that." He tapped his claws in an attempt to resemble snapping even though he couldn't really do so and she actually released a small giggle. "You're something, Cat." Cat shrugged it off, "Eh, I'm trying to get you to feel better. You've been tense. It's pretty obvious." She looked down at her helmet wearily.

"Maybe…" She exhaled tiredly before she felt a clawed hand on her shoulder, "Why don't we stay out for the day? You don't mind rain, I don't mind rain, can't get much worse than this." She smiled and agreed to it.

* * *

None looked down at the scene with amusement at the scene. Nine had drug Pet out of Child's room to see if Twenty-One could be taught to interact with him. Unfortunately, even as Nine tried to get the smaller one to show interest in the Beast, whose owner was now nearly hovering over the zippered male's shoulder and watching with his own amusement. Unfortunately Twenty-One wasn't particularly interested in the Training Beast and was instead interested in Twelve who was propped on a plush pillow and watching her brother play.

One was watching over both and making sure that they were careful. None chuckled especially when Pet nudged against Twenty-One who teetered a bit before looking to the Beast as though he was either surprised or disturbed, looking over to One in confusion. This was when Three and Four entered the throne room again. Three walked to the other side of the scene to look while Four was standing beside None, touching his arm, and None smiled to her pleasantly, "Did Cat leave?" To this the young female smiled and nodded in agreement before leaning her head affectionately against the male's shoulder.

None smiled at her before lifting her head by the chin sweetly with a few fingers. He smiled at her warmly before kissing her briefly. It was a small, gentle kiss, and was immediately followed by both of their optics flickering around almost nervously. Neither were sure if the others were watching and they were more than pleased when they noticed they weren't being looked at. It felt good to exhale in relief and know that they were accepted. "It's pretty nice not to hide anymore." None pointed out to Four with a cordial smile. The female agreed once again before doing a motion with her hands.

It was a quick and familiar one. First she pointed to herself, then put her hands together at her chest and squeezed them, then pointed at the male. A long while ago None learned what this gesture had meant. She had shyly given it to him after his confession of affection and he had realized quickly that it meant the same thing. By now he had seen it numerous times as a way of secretly proclaiming their affection, but knowing that it didn't have to be secret felt so much better. He smiled wider and leaned forward to embrace her softly into his arm before eventually kissing her once again.

Her lips were so soft, so perfect and petite, and if felt like nothing could break them apart. It was somewhat unfortunate when suddenly One spoke from much closer that they thought, "Yes, yes. We know you are in a happy relationship. You don't have to remind us." It was a quick comment that was somewhat playful in a One way, which meant it was hard to tell. Either way the two jumped apart immediately, sorely embarrassed, and the Leader turned back to his children and the Beast.

A few seconds passed before the two slowly looked to each other, staring at each other before breaking into smiles once again. That was the worst that could possibly come from now on, they knew it, and that was everything they needed.

* * *

**Mable: Still not the end of the story arc, expect another chapter tomorrow night! I hope everyone enjoyed!**


	26. Chapter 26: The Risks Taken

**Mable: Here is chapter twenty-six! I have a somewhat important note at the end that… Err, isn't really important but explains more about a posting arrangement. Anyway, I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

* * *

_**Fabric Runs Shallow**_

_Chapter Twenty-Six: The Risks Taken_

When Seven's optics opened she found herself staring out at the room surrounding her. Slowly memories returned of the day before as she looked at the broken window of the clock shop. Nearby was a stack of needles, a spool of thread, and some buttons that had been bundled into a fabric sack that was made by spare burlap. Those were the supplies that they had found the day and night before, ready to be taken home. As she thought back she remembered clearly that Cat and her had stopped at the Clock Shop when the thundering started and must have fallen asleep.

As per usual he was wrapped around her yet again, chest against her back, arms around her middle, with purring in her audio receptor. Looking upwards she could see that both of their helmets were stacked together nearby. She tried to reach for hers but after a pitiful attempt she gave in and decided to wait until he awoke. Yet she wasn't eager to awaken Cat yet and instead laid there tiredly. Her sleep had been rough and hadn't been very restful at all. Yet the second she closed her optics again she felt movement as Cat fidgeted.

He rested his head on her neck, his chin tucking to rest on the metal, and looked out at the rest of the clock shop. "Awake yet, Dove?" He asked lowly, his voice crackling after going so long without speaking from his rest. Seven sighed a bit before speaking, "A bit." She rubbed her forehead, "Did you get any sleep last night at least?" He sort of shrugged a bit before nuzzling against her, a small purr beginning to raise. She caved in and reached upwards to drape her hand on his head, petting it gently. The purring intensified greatly and Cat continue to try and hold her closer, nearly on top of her as he held her close.

Seven noticed quickly that she was feeling a bit warm and abruptly spoke, "We should probably head home now. It looks like the rain stopped." Looking out through the window she could see the sun shining through into the half empty store. She slowly sat upwards, Cat releasing her before watching her stand, his optics slowly sliding down to her scared back. Her number was partially obscured by the scared fabric and the male found his curiosity raise as he stood as well. She bent over and lifted her helmet that she quickly placed on her head.

Right after which she straightened herself only to noticing the taller form lingering behind her once again. Seven started to look back before feeling his sharp claws running along the patch. It was only recently that she had it reinjured, so it was slightly tender, but he was gentle. "Cat?" She asked softly to which Cat spoke, "Which of these did I make?" His voice was surprisingly solemn, but laced with curiosity. There was a sort of sad and solemn fascination in her past injuries, in the war between them when he was a mindless Cat Beast and she was the lone Warrior.

She paused, considering how to answer, not knowing whether to honestly answer or not. The honest truth was that she had fought with many Beasts and had forgotten which gave which scars, but she knew there was some from his past form, she wasn't sure which one. Now that she considered it, perhaps this was why she felt the occasionally moments of discomfort around him. Parts of her immediately knew this wasn't true; Seven had the upmost trust in Cat and he had proven more than once that he was protective of her.

Even as his claws touched her back they were gentle, careful, and she decided to answer with, "It doesn't matter, Kitten. They're so old I barely remember which is which." Cat paused for a few seconds before suddenly the purring returned, louder than ever, Seven realizing that maybe the pet name had meant a lot more to Cat than to her. She didn't exactly understand it until she felt his arm slip around, his hand cupping her opposite cheek and reeling it in before pressing his mouth against the cheek that now was before him.

Weirder still, though casually understood by Seven, Cat darted the rough leather of his tongue out to gently press against her fabric before pulling back. An obvious gesture of affection and for a second Seven just rested on it, leaning back on him and letting the moment simmer. Then she playfully began to push him off with a playful smile, "It's going to start raining before we can get out if we keep going on like this." She pointed out, playfully pushing him back, and he chuckled before pulling away and heading to the supplies. "I'll get these."

Seven smiled to him still, "You don't have to." She suggested but Cat shrugged it off, "You find them, I carry them." He pointed out and she decided to go along with it. Then the two left the Clock Shop into the Emptiness once again, walking along the still damp concrete that led them back in the direction of the Library. It was uneventful and quiet, but Seven was feeling surprisingly good about herself and her world. They arrived at the Library and were hit by the smell of dusty.

Along with the open books strewn around it seemed that the twins were going through some of the books in the front of the Library. Caked with dust, just disturbing the books, let alone opening them, released the scent into the air. Perhaps this was purposeful as she was certain that the twins loved the smell of old books, being Librarians and all. Yet she continued to lead Cat to the bucket lift to head upwards into the Sanctuary. Unfortunately it was busy up there too and Seven small wish to keep a low profile seemed hopeless.

Apparently Five and Two were working on something on the roof, hammering loudly, while One sat on the throne looking miserable from the constant banging. When he abruptly stood and began to cross over to the throne room Seven was expecting a confrontation. Instead, One merely boarded the lift, "If Two asks I am heading down into the Library until further notice. Or until he finds a quieter job to do." Then he began to lower down the lift to head down into the Library. Part of Seven wanted to warn him that the twins were also working downstairs nearly just as eagerly.

Instead she just quietly accepted that One had just skipped any lecture she could have expected. "Guess we're off the hook." Cat chimed in, "Remind me to thank Two for being a great distraction yet again." He then headed into the hall and headed back to the Workshop before dropping the bag of supplies by the workbench. "I'm not taking this onto the roof. I'm not too keen on heights." The Warrior made a scoffing noise, "First water, now heights, quite the scared cat aren't you?" He corrected, "It's scaredy cat… But yeah."

He actually had the nerve to wink and she simply shook her head before heading into the hall, "Well I'm heading up to see what they're working on. It's so loud anyway." She headed down into the throne room, with Cat speaking, "Good luck. If you need me, I'll be in Child's room looking at the baby." By 'baby' she found it weird that he meant the small spider beast instead of Twelve or Twenty-One, but didn't think much of it, and instead headed to get onto the roof. It wasn't hard to get upstairs; at one point or another Five and Two had made a makeshift ladder out of nails that they used to climb upwards.

As she began to climb the wall seemed to open in places and she could see out into the Library. Maybe for a second she felt vertigo, but it faded quickly as she looked upwards and finally noticed Two and Five. Unlike what they had thought, they weren't on the roof, but inside the roof itself. They had broken through the bottom layer of wood and were working on something inside which Seven soon saw closer as she climbed into the roof section. Two and Five were bracing a pulley system that she found interest in as she climbed beside them.

Five looked over as Two was focusing on a nail the younger was holding for him, teetering on a stool dangerously. "Hey Seven. What are you doing up here?" The Healer asked and Two also greeted quickly as the Warrior looked towards their work. "Seeing what you were doing, if you don't mind. You already managed to run One out of the throne room." She lightly teased and Two chuckled, "Ah, he gave us the go ahead, it's his own fault for expecting hard work to be quiet." He then went into explanation.

"This will soon be a lift. It will be much easier than the nails and, hopefully, we'll still be able to use the nails if there's no other choice. We just have to secure the pulley and then we'll deal with rope and the actual lift. Just one step at a time." He finished his current job and sighed, hands on his hips as he looked at the roof." Then we just have to make the watchtower itself." Seven blinked a bit at this suggestion and reminded, "You won't get much a view from up here."

Two chuckled a bit, looking at the Library, "No, perhaps not, but that is why we'll be building on the roof. We have to find a place where the roof has grown soft enough to get through." Five bobbed his head in agreement with everything that the Inventor said. "It may be a bit ambitious," Two began again, "but I think with a lot of hard work we can rebuilt the Watchtower to its former glory." The one eyed one added in with, "If anyone could do it again, or at least try, it'll probably be us."

Not exactly resonating too much confidence, but it was a lot for Five and Seven smiled, "I'm sure you two can. Do you need any help?" Two paused, tapping his lips in thought, "Hmm… Not at the immediate moment. Oh, but if you wait for us to finish here you could help us find that soft spot we're searching for." The Warrior gave a nod of agreement and the two males returned to work, she sitting down nearby and watching them do so with a rather proud smile on her face.

If anyone could turn the Sanctuary into a complete home it would absolutely be the two of them. There was no doubt in her mind.

* * *

Because Eight had been kept awake all night he slept in quite a bit. Yet when he awoke to a soft squeaking noise he groaned and rolled over, "Six?" The Artist wasn't on the other side of bed or in the rest of the room. Immediately Eight let his head drop onto the pillow pitifully and groaned. "I'm going to have to get Six." After all, he did want to sleep more, but he couldn't sleep with the Tailor keening. "Forget it." He suddenly murmured and rolled over, pulling the blanket over his body and trying to sleep.

At first he was actually able to ignore the noise because he was tired, but suddenly the pealing grew in volume. Shoestring was determined to get someone to address him and as he could only hear someone nearby he called louder and louder. Eventually Eight couldn't stand the crying anymore and got back up. He made an attempt to flee the room and got to the door before stopping. Unfortunately his reflexes as a Guard told him to go back and check just in case. He sluggishly crossed the room to where the bassinette rested and stared in.

The Tailor infant was lying on its side curled in an awkward way shrieking for attention. Though what was weirder still was that it had a tear on its side that Eight hadn't seen before. "You rip yourself open?" He asked in confusion, reaching out and poking beside the tear. Shoestring elongated and twitched as though in pain before releasing a small hissing noise. Eight drew his hand back and stared at it before poking again, "Does that hurt or something?" he asked himself more that the little creature.

Now he was curious enough to wrap his arms around the small creature and lift him. As he lifted him the tear actually opened more and now something metal prodded out, "Tell me I didn't break it." He murmured to himself wearily as he looked it over. Yet he soon realized something odd; the metal piece inside the Tailor didn't look like it belonged there. The Guard set the Tailor down on the bed and braced himself before touching at the wound, spreading it open a bit. Metal began to poke through further and he raised a brow.

"And I thought you were weird before." The large Stitchpunk pointed out, talking to ease the situation. Shoestring stopped screeching by now and merely let out little hissing noises whenever the wound was touched. Finally the metal slide through further and came out, partially bent. Eight just stared for a few seconds before the metal point twitched and bent over, tapping on Eight's hand oddly. It was only then that Eight realized it was an arm and nearly winced at the fact that it was touching him.

Though he was only more confused at how the Beast had just sprouted an arm. It stared upwards at him with that idolizing stare that it had been giving Six and Eight didn't know whether to cringe or feel somewhat glad that this odd creature liked him, a creature that he himself had been so against letting Six keep. It fidgeted in his grasp and he exhaled, "Yeah, like it while you can. Six is doing this next time." He didn't know why but this wasn't as bad as he expected it to be.

This meant, though, that he either had to admit that maybe he actually liked little Shoestring a little, even though he was a male Seamstress, or he had to admit that he liked babies. It began to make noises again and he lifted it again, still holding it awkwardly in front of him, "Come on, let's go get Six, okay?" It didn't respond but its newly revealed arm moved around in a testing motion. The small metal piece on the end, which wasn't like a hand at all, also flexed. _"Wait," _He remembered in confusion, _"they're supposed to have a couple of these. Why'd this one only have one?" _

Feeling along the edges he sudden realized that he could feel more metal bits moving inside that didn't feel like a skeleton structure. He hadn't noticed as he had never lifted it before, but he could feel things moving inside and knew that it was other limbs waiting to be free. He decided just to cut his losses and say that he liked babies. It worked better in his favor.

* * *

As Nine entered Child's bedroom he was weary and sore from moving books, stretching his arms and letting his back pop as he looked in. "hey." He greeted before Child looked from his workbench, "Oh, Nine, good afternoon." He greeted nonchalantly before just as nonchalantly looking to Cat and announcing, "Cat, find something to do." Cat, meanwhile, was stretched out on the pale male's bed and sat upwards. "Yeah, yeah. I get it. We're friends until Nine pops in." He stood and started towards the doorway.

"Good luck." He greeted to Nine with a little salute and the zippered male blinked in confusion. After the taller left he turned to Child, "What did he mean by that?" The albino male waved it off in an answer and Nine crossed to the bed to sit down, "What, is One upset about something again?" He prodded and he swore he saw a bit of a smirk from Child, "No. I have not seen him for a while. Though I am glad for that." He rested his makeshift quill on the workbench and turned to face Nine with a somewhat less than innocent smile, "I want to talk about the other night."

The zippered male raised a brow in confusion, "Alright, what about the other night? Wait. Do you mean the game we played?" The pale male folded his hands over his lap and tried to hide his growing eagerness. "So what was the terms and conditions of our arrangement? What did the winner earn?" Now Nine suddenly realized what was coming and paused before slowly saying, "I… I think we agreed on the winner choosing a task for the other." The albino stood from the workbench and slipped around the bed slowly.

"I think I remember that too." He was now standing before Nine, hands innocently folded behind his back, mock innocence. "So I have chosen my reward." Nine paused, raising a brow, and Child finished, "I want you to kiss me." There was a moment of silence, "Child, I kiss you all the time." Nine reminded him. "I know. I am not one to take a single one for granted." He insisted, "I would like another." So the zippered male casually shrugged and stood before him, giving him a lopsided smile before leaning in.

It was strange. While it was just supposed to be something quick Nine decided to reward Child with a properly passionate kiss. Yet soon he found that Child was a bit more eager than he anticipated. The kiss intensified to something greater, Child pressing in deeper and stealing Nine's breath, and as his back hit the bed he had a feeling that Child meant for this to happen.

Proper reward indeed.

* * *

**Mable: So Eight finally caved and poked at the Tailor baby, Nine lost a bet to Child, and Five and Two are perilously teetering at the top of the Library. Anyway, about the note; I decided to add one last chapter to this story arc. Unfortunately, it's… Not finished. So I'm going to try to post it tomorrow, but I doubt it'll be finished. Three days at most, I promise, and I hope it's worth it, but I don't want to leave it out. Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed!**


	27. Chapter 27: The Curious Courting

**Mable: Here's that chapter I FINALLY managed to finish! ^-^ Anyway, I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

* * *

_**Fabric Runs Shallow**_

_Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Curious Courting_

One had a growing headache and nothing to do to take his mind off of it. "I knew he would take advantage of my generosity! I give a little and he takes much more; driven out of my throne room by that infernal racket!" He grouchily complained to nobody in particular as he wandered through the Library wearily. Unfortunately Eight wasn't with him and no one else was in the immediate vicinity. Usually he would use this time to pander to his children, but even that was being handled by his father so he had lost use.

His grumbling eventually caught the attentions of the twins who had their faces pressed into a book. Little did he know, but they needed someone for an idea of theirs, and he being free perked their interest. It was no more than a few seconds afterwards when they rushed upon him with seeking optics flickering in quick conversation. The Leader raised a brow and one of them grabbed his wrist, trying to lead him along. Unlike most of the others, the twins showed no hesitance in dragging One off to where they liked.

"What is this?" One asked them, slightly annoyed but not exactly at them. They nodded in an attempt to insist and pointed off in a random direction. One had a fleeting thought that it was trouble and agreed, "Very well, lead on." Yet he was wrong as the pair of small girls led him to an open book. Inside of the open book were two pages of words and images, One checked the title and quickly realized what it was about. "Valentine's Day." He read and already knew what it was. His Father may have mentioned it once, perhaps Two, but One got the jest.

"A romantic holiday. Why are you two-… Never mind." There was no point asking. Three and Four researched everything so a holiday celebration wasn't too out of the picture. He merely shrugged it off, but the twins were insistent, pointing further and One asked, "If you are asking to celebrate Valentine's Day it is in the springtime." He pointed out, but they looked at each other before Four suddenly flickered a projection onto the back of a book that said, "-spend time with loved ones." One raised a brow casually, but wasn't too interested in what they were saying until Three projected a '2'.

"So you are saying you want me to spend time with Two?" he scoffed a bit, "That's preposterous. I spend plenty of time with Two. We share a bed every night, we have two children, we…" He faded off as he noticed that the twins were giving patronizing looks, "Don't look at me like that. I spend quality time with Two." They looked to each other and the Leader finally started to be won, "If you are being that specific, however, Two and I do not get much time to just ourselves… And you both want me to?" They nodded eagerly.

"Fine then." One caved, "If you are so insistent you both might as well assist me. Technically I could be making up for years." The twins just stared with knowing looks of sympathy and One insisted, "I meant years without the accursed holiday. Not without time alone." He peered into the book and began to read through the words quickly before something caught his optics. "This may work…" Then he looked to the young ones, "I don't suppose you two have ever found any bottles of thick, dark colored liquid?"

Both of the twins thought 'ink' and looked to each other in confusion. One was more specific now as he realized that it would probably be easier, "Wine, perhaps?" Now they perked and began to lead him back into their study before leading him to a specific cubby that was once two cubbies that had been broken into one. There were bottles, full and empty, collected corks, wine labels that were wallpapered on the walls, and a cork screw propped nearby. It immediately caused One to wonder what else the twins had in their hold.

"Excellent." He somewhat praised before he took the corkscrew towards the bottle, only to suddenly have Four jump in front of him and Three grab the corkscrew. Both shaking their head in sync they didn't want him opening the bottle. They knew once it was open they wouldn't be able to preserve it but One was determined. "You were the ones who felt the need to draw my relationship with Two into question. I need this evening and I need what is in this bottle." They shook their head again before One changed tone, "Very well…"

He paused and started to set the corkscrew down. "But, just a minute." He straightened himself and spoke, "If I remember right you two brought some things home from a dollhouse. How about glasses? Silverware? Hmm?" He knew it would be doll sized and thus perhaps not work, but believed maybe it would, and the twins looked at each other in flickering questioning before hurrying off to get them. The second they rushed off One smirked to himself, "It's a shame they're so naïve. If anyone I thought they would have seen right through that."

With this he hoisted up the corkscrew and pushed it against the cork before twisting it so that the cork would be buried into, then started to pull. It took all of his might and weight, and a foot resting in the lip of the bottle, but the cork slid free. Of course he had to place it partially back in the second that dark burgundy liquid burst out and dribbled onto his front. He let out a noise of disturbance before hearing a noise and looking back to see Three and Four standing there. They were carrying doll sized plates, cups, and such while they didn't look too pleased.

"You should have expected it." One merely defended. The twins merely looked at each other, shook their heads, and decided to still help him. Though they were starting to understand why Seven said it was difficult to work with One.

* * *

The shine of bright green flickered in lovely sparks before Nine's eyes and he had what was nearly an out of body experience. It was coming, he could feel it raising, and he tossed his head back. Above him flickered red optics as Child stared down at him. The affection and passion was growing in his optics as Nine felt his body tremble. He was almost there, both of them, and Child pressed his forehead to Nine's as they started to reach the end of their rope. Building higher, the light growing brighter, and Nine sputtering.

"I-Ah!" He cried out as whiteness began to overtake his vision. It was amazing, the perfection of two beings bonding their souls in an intimate way, and for a second he wondered why Child and he didn't do this nightly. Right now he considered doing it even more than that and clutched the other's shoulders tighter as he helped press them together. They kissed briefly before pulling apart as they reached the end of their ropes. Nine was there, his body twitched, his pulse raised incredibly, and he hit the end abruptly.

"_Fabrication!"_

His body gave out and the two of them slowly fell onto the bed beneath them. Child only held out a little longer, but his soul flashed just as brightly or maybe even brighter than his mate's had. Nine's soul faded back into his weary body as he tilted his head to kiss Child on the cheek. Maybe it was worth giving in to his desires after all. The pale male was oddly unresponsive this time. Usually the pale male would go straight to cuddling afterwards, but this time it didn't come. What came instead was a single question, laced with apprehension.

"What did you call me?"

For a second Nine just blinked, "What? I don't…" Then he thought back, then he realized what he had said, and he choked in horror. "I didn't mean to say that." He insisted, "I don't even know why I would say something like that!" Child looked to him, optics wide in paranoia, or perhaps dilated from their previous session. "You… You referred to me as _Fabrication. _As the _Machine_." He almost had betrayal in his voice and as weird as this entire scene was he seemed actually more fearful than upset. Overcoming any exhaustion he stood, still staring at Nine.

"It's not like I meant it!" Nine insisted with clear embarrassment, "I wasn't even thinking about the Fabrication Machine!" Child retorted with, "I am the Fabrication Machine!" Then a double take for a second and corrupted, "You _think _I am the Fabrication Machine!" Nine sputtered in an attempt to defend himself but Child was too quick, "I'm going to get some air." He quickly excused and hurried towards the door, ignoring his hood and just stumbling out into the hallway and away. "Child, wait!" Nine called after him before collapsing in the bed.

He rubbed his forehead tiredly; that had been a massive mistake that he didn't intend on making. He resolved himself, "I'll go after him, I'll just have to convince him that I didn't mean it." A few minutes passed, "After I get feeling back in my legs."

* * *

"This is going to stain." One insisted in paranoia as he tried to rub the wine out of his front before looking ahead at one of the metal containers of water that the twins were carrying. "Hold there." He crossed over and dipped his hands in before scrubbing at his front. The second time he went to dip in one of the twins swatted him away; he thought it was Three but couldn't really tell. They already knew what they wanted the makeshift pot for and One pulled back. To his relief, at least, the little bit of water had started to take the stain out.

Treated fabric had always cleaned easily enough; it wasn't a shame that Six didn't bathe more because he was sure it wouldn't take much scrubbing to get him cleaned. He followed the twins to the cauldron that he had helped them light a fire inside. The heat wasn't very comfortable, even with the temperature's steady decline outside as autumn inched closer and the summer began to slowly wane. The twins lifted the pot and paused for a few minutes, realizing that they had hoop handles on the pot but nothing to hook it onto.

They looked to One who exhaled, "Hold it there." He turned and hurried off to find some thread while the twins nervously held the pot over the heat. Hands growing hot quickly. One found the thread spool in the twins' study and carried it back to them where he tied the pot to the hook so that it could be held above the warmth, which it did. The twins waved their hands cool before opening themselves, One shielded his optics, and scooped out dried rice that they had been carrying inside. The rice was dropped into the pot where they continued to hold it.

"You are aware that Stitchpunks cannot actually digest matter like humans, aren't you?" both nodded, but pointed at the rice and made pleased hand gestures. Maybe not One's idea like the wine, but if they were sure that the rice would pan out then he would attempt it just the same. As the addressed the rice he spoke, "This is not a two person job so are you two willing to be separated? One finish this while the other assists me in finding a proper candle?" They nodded immediately; to be honest, sometimes it amused the twins when others thought that they couldn't be separated.

Three stayed to address the rice which she stirred with a burned out match stick while Four led One into the study. They boarded the lift and raised themselves to a small cubby filled with match boxes, wicks, and in the back filled with candles. There were many of many sizes; thin and fat, tall and short, and One's optics scrolled through them. "I need one that is small enough to be carried easily." Four perked and rushed into the back, carrying one out that had been worn down to a mere nub from constant use. Yet even from the distance One could tell that it smelled strongly.

He could only imagine what the musky scent would smell like while being burned. "Do you have any unscented?" Unfortunately she shook her head and handed it over. "Then it will have to do." He exhaled, but still didn't find the smell pleasant and followed her back to the other twin. Three was still addressing the rice and it still wasn't complete, One wasn't sure how she told the difference, but he merely addressed everything else. "Four, fetch me a handkerchief of some kind. We're losing time so I am just going to start prepping."

* * *

Child didn't know what to think about this entire event and exhibited it by pacing almost frantically. Wracking his brain for answers while not trying to think of anything else titled a 'brain' in existence. So when Nine walked up to him and saw frantic pacing he immediately expected the worst. From what he saw Child was a powder keg only seconds from exploding and he knew he had to say something and slowly approached, rubbing his arm sheepishly as he closed the gap between them. "Child…" He started hesitantly and the albino froze in place.

"I'm sorry." He insisted, "I don't know why I said that, but not once, ever, have I thought of the Machine like that." Child turned towards him, but had to look at the ground in embarrassment. "Please forgive me." Nine pleaded and Child now spoke, "There's nothing to forgive, Nine, I know you didn't intend on saying it, but I do know that when you spoke the Machine's name… You were referring to me." Nine paused, inhaled a bit, and asked, "Remember the other day when we were talking about honesty? Well, I'll be honest."

Child now looked to him and he explained. "I don't see you as the Machine, even though you were a part of the Machine. I see you as Child… But for some reason I don't see the B.R.A.I.N. as the Machine either. Even though it is. I know this doesn't sound like it makes sense, but I… When I called you that, it was the last thing I was thinking of." The albino male seemed relieved, but wasn't completely, and murmured out, "It's alright, Nine. Again, you said nothing wrong. My reaction is… My own fault." He insisted and Nine was confused.

"Nine, I will be honest with you." Child insisted with that same, lingering dread in his voice, "I wasn't upset that you called me the name of the Machine…. In fact, I found myself… I liked it. I liked it too much." Nine stared before his optics widened, "You… You liked it?" Child gave a quick nod, "Indeed, I did… but I don't know what it means." He almost sounded fearful and Nine tried to wrestle with a shock or disturbance. After all, he was the one who had screamed out the Machine's name when in the throes of passion.

"Well… Like I said, you were a part of the Machine." He was balancing on both of his points delicately, but curiosity got the best of him, "How did you like it?" The pale male trembled a bit, perhaps simply twitching, and murmured, "It's indescribable. Something foreign and familiar at the same time. It makes me feel…Unsteady." Then he added in quieter, "I am addicted to it, to the feeling of this uncontrolled behavior." Then he rubbed his forehead, "I sound like a lunatic." Nine smiled a bit, "No you don't."

He didn't know how this would work but softly suggested, "You know… I could call you it again." With that Child interrupted, "Now you sound like a lunatic." He pointed out, but Nine insisted, "I'm not talking about in front of everyone. When we're alone, if you want, I could call you… That…" Nine somewhat was a bit hesitant to finish that, again balancing on that edge. "I can't indulge this." He nearly pleaded, trying to get Nine to call back his words, but Nine insisted, "Once or twice won't harm anything… Maybe we just have to do it on special occasions."

"Special occasions." Child repeated flatly in disbelief. Nine gave a bit of a playful smile, "You know… If it slips out during special occasions?" It was embarrassing to admit, but Child's pulse was beginning to throb rapidly, interest growing too quickly, and he pretended he wasn't as eager as he was. "Per… Perhaps…" He murmured and Nine put an arm around him before leaning to nuzzle against him. Child didn't need long before he began to nuzzle back affectionately.

Then, suddenly Child moved a bit quickly and Nine was suddenly pinned against the wall beside the bucket lift. It wasn't aggressive, but it was insistent, and Child leaned in before insisting, a metallic purr raising in his chest. "Say it, Poppet." He instructed, machine arms sliding free and beginning to hover there. Nine felt odd; he knew it was a game, yet there was this small taboo feeling, like he knew this was wrong and yet he was still piqued greatly. "Fabrication." He gasped, his voice breathy, watching as Child's optics struggled to keep neutral.

He nuzzled against his mate again before pulling back completely, "There. I indulged."

It was weird how such an awkward event sent Nine chuckling so quickly.

* * *

One was pacing in slight frustration at this entire event. Looking at the set he was both pleased and disturbed. After all; it looked so nicely set and yet it wasn't going to use. The pearl white handkerchief was spread over a book with two cups of burgundy liquid, a plate of now finished rice, and a glowing candle alighting the scene. Unfortunately, Two was missing, and when the twins appeared One was quick to assume, when they were alone, "Ah, let me guess, he said he would be here as soon as he finished?" The two looked at each other before looking at the ground wearily.

One tossed his hands into the air dramatically, "Of course! Everyone believes I fail to give Two affection, but I can never find him at the right time!" A few minutes passed before he insisted, "I'm not waiting, I'm going to go get him." He insisted and as he started to storm off towards the bucket lift. However, the twins stopped him and then hurried off. One paced as he stewed and they packed the wine into the small pot and sealed the rice in a fabric bag. They then tied it together in a bundle and tried to get One to carry it.

The Leader was at first insistent not to, but eventually lifted it and headed over towards the bucket lift with them following. At least they turned the crank; the bundle wasn't heavy, but it wasn't easy to handle both at once. Once in the Sanctuary he was led back to the latter into the roof and stared at it with a glare. With a grumble he laced his arm through the threads of the bundle and began to climb the nails, the twins watching from below. "Wait here." He instructed when the chattered at each other, perhaps questioning whether to follow.

The Leader ignored the height, he ignored the possible chance of falling, he just climbed into the workspace where Two and Five were still going at a pulley. Seven was also sitting there as well and the Leader spoke, "Two…" His voice was low from both annoyance and from having to carry the bundle up the tall ladder. The Inventor looked over before smiling, "Well hello there! Glad to see you; the twins said you wanted to show me something?" One just stared with a disturbed look and looked to Five and Seven.

"If you two would be so kindly, I need to be alone with Two." Seven raised a brow and Five somewhat cocked his head, "We're… We're still working, though." One snapped, "You can come back and work later. This is important so would you both find something necessary to do?" Seven was clearly not happy and Five was a little taken aback, but Two smoothed things over, "Just give us a bit. We were working towards a break anyway." One waited until both Seven and Five had climbed down the ladder before putting the bundle to the ground beside a small bench.

"Here, Two, sit with me." He insisted, his voice softening now that they were alone as he took the bundle apart. He pulled the cups out and wiped them off before filling them in the pot. He set one beside him and handed Two the other while uncovering the plate of rice that had been covered with another plate." Two smiled at the display, "Now what's all this?" Two asked and One looked a bit proud, "This is the Valentine's Day we missed last year and the year before, and so on." Two took the cup and looked at the contents.

"Is this wine?" Of course Two knew about it, but hadn't ever tasted it, and again One smiled with satisfaction, "It certainly is. You would be surprised how much the twins have been hiding away in their study." Two looked at everything before sitting down beside his mate and murmuring, "One, you didn't have to do this. Why is this such an important day?" One responding quickly and honestly, "Because I love you." For a second Two got a look of surprise and One's face changed to alarm.

"Don't tell me that you also believe that I don't spend enough time with you…" He murmured and Two shook his head, "Oh, no, no! I just… I mean it was so blunt but… But so wonderful to hear. Not that you haven't said you loved me before, but… But it's nice." He smiled a small, tender smile. "We've been together so long that things become routine. We fall into normal lives." One nodded in agreement, "Perhaps after the children were born we took this for granted. Just because we are married does not mean that I can't still court you."

He felt pleased as he noticed the almost shy look appearing again. While Two was so social and friendly, he was still soft for romance, he always had been, and One suddenly realized that this was a good reason to bring the romance back. "Well for tonight let it just be us." He spoke with a happy tone lingering in his voice, one that most other Stitchpunks would think as impossible. He lifted his cup in a toast and Two clasped his own cup against the other male's, resonating in a clear sound.

"I shall drink to that!" He then took a sip of the liquid and while at first it was a strange bitter to come accustomed to, it was the thought that made it so much more worth it. Even with all of the effort he had to go through for this day One felt a swell of happiness as everything went according to plan in the end. He was with Two and Two was happy, Two knew that he loved him; that was all that mattered.

* * *

**Mable: So the daily updates shall begin again next Saturday! Sorry about the delay. I hope everyone enjoyed!**


	28. Chapter 28: The Casual Work

**Mable: Here we are! Chapter twenty-eight! I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

* * *

_**Fabric Runs Shallow**_

_Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Casual Work_

It had been more than a week since the heavy rainfall that lasted days had overtaken. In these days things went normally. Five and Two managed to finally make a stable lift; though it wasn't a bucket lift and instead more like the basket lift that led to the old workshop. While not fitting as many Stitchpunks on at once, it could lower all the way to the Library floor, so it did give an extra lift that could be used. In the long run this was a good thing. They also worked on the platform for the Workshop which was slowly heading towards completion daily.

Other than that, the weather was growing a bit cooler, leading to more pleasant days outside and for knitted socks made for both Twelve and Twenty-One to wear. After another day of much lighter rain the twins were working in their large book when Three let out a pitiful sigh. "_You keep doing that." _Her sister tsked in their own, whispering way and Three nodded. _"Do you think he forgets about me? Up in his tower so high, unable to hear the wistful cries of a heart like mine?" _She swooned and Four raised a brow, staring silently, before Three submitted.

"_I was reading more of Romeo and Juliet today. They talk so romantically; why don't we talk more like that?" _Four wasn't as interested in the book as Three was, even though they both were in relationships. Four added in, _"Well, you have no need to talk like them. They're separated by their families. You and Five are just separated by familiar work." _At this Three frowned, staring down at the marble ground, _"Yes… He does work a lot." _Four looked confused at her sister's behavior. She couldn't tell if she was displeased or doing her impression again.

Her answer came when Three looked to her desperately, _"Does… What do you do when None works? When you're not able to see each other as much?" _Four pondered this briefly before she shrugged, _"None doesn't really, well… He doesn't have a job like Five does. We still spend time apart, if that's what you mean, when he wants to be with Nine, but then I want to spend time with you." _Three got a bit of a smile and said she understood, but Four wasn't too sure. Something was obviously bothering Three and she wanted to know what it was.

So she suggested that they went out into the courtyard and walked around some to stretch their legs. After all they had spent a long time working, and he twin agreed to do so. The two soon wandered through the Library and outside. Thankfully it wasn't raining today, but the ground that wasn't protected by stones was soft and squishy. The two headed over to the far side of the courtyard when Four asked, _"Is there something wrong in your relationship with Five?_" Three looked over in alarm at her sister's statement.

"_I propose this; you two are perfectly happy together, but that happiness wanes away entirely when apart, and since most couples must spend adequate time apart-." _She was interrupted as Three desperately pointed forward at something, anything, to take their mind off of the current situation. Four realized it and thought it was a cheap tactic. Thankfully for Three there actually was something that she managed to find. Out of nowhere in the dirt appeared a patch of reddish dirt that didn't look the same consistence of the dirt around.

It was past the gate and the Stitchpunk led her twin out to see it. While Four was curious, it didn't change her concern_. "But what about Five and you?"_ She questioned only to receive no answer, which she was discouraged by completely. She eventually became entranced by the dirt as well which was remarkably red colored and which confused her greatly. They both assumed that the recent rainy season had washed away everything covering this odd substance. Three and Four both wondered if it was clay and were hesitant to say so, but decided to take some anyway.

They quickly retrieved the pot that they had recently used for One's devices and filled it with the red soil before carrying it back inside, struggling over the heaviness. It was quite fortunate to run into Eight at this point. Eight and Six appeared at the entrance to Library. From the way they looked it seemed that Eight was going out and Six was staying behind. They could hear the Artist softly speak, "Are you sure you don't need me to come?" The Guard was insisted, "It's not going to be long. How long can it take to find nails?" The Artist was still distressed, "I guess so…"

The Guard raised a brow, "Unless you want to go." The small one was immediately dismissive, "No, no. I need to stay with Shoestring… I'm just going to draw." He fondled his key somewhat dismissively. Eight wasn't oblivious, he knew that Six wanted to go, but he wasn't sure why. "So… Any nightmares last night?" He tested and the striped one shook his head. To be honest, Six didn't know why he wanted to go out, but recently he had been feeling strange. Even though he had Shoestring to take care of he was feeling like he was running out of use.

He drew of course, all the time, whenever he had free time, but he was in an inspiration rut. After making multiple pictures of Belgium he was somewhat unsure what to draw next. The nightmares weren't present either so it wasn't as though he could draw that either. He was feeling a little useless, but knew he couldn't just abandon his responsibilities to go scouting. As the twins came closer he noticed their plight and pointed it out. "Eight, maybe you could help them?" He suggested and the Guard glanced over before doing so. After all, it was nothing to him, feeling so much lighter.

The twins were relieved at this assistance and Four was even more relieved when he noticed two more Stitchpunks walking towards them, being Five and Two. She quickly alerted her twin with a tap on the arm and pointed him out. Three was thrilled to see him and rushed over, smiling and flickering in delighted whispers to see him. He greeted her, hugged her tight, and then admitted that he and Two were planning to scout with Eight. While Three didn't show any upset of any kind, Four knew it was there, and felt sorry for her twin sister's plight.

"We won't be gone long. We didn't want to leave at all, but the nails we had stored are starting to rust. They aren't going to hold well in the watchtower." Three nodded in understanding and only let a tinge of a falling smile peek through. Four wanted to say something, but didn't feel right doing so, and Nine, Seven, Child, and None appeared as well. Two was the only one interested outright in what the twins were doing and peered into the pot that Eight carried, "What's this?" He asked in that friendly manner which signaled that he had his own idea and yet still asked.

Four came over and tried to explain. Two caught on too quickly to be that oblivious, "I don't remember finding clay so close. You know that you can make jars and such from it?" Four nodded in agreement and Three started over to the two to explain as well. Whether or not she was upset about Five she discarded it and was more than willing to see what Two had to say. Of course they knew a little about clay already, but looked towards Two, and the Inventor spoke, "This could be very helpful. We could use some more containers and such."

It was at this time that Nine spoke, "Alright. Are we ready?" He asked the others and there were a few rounds of nods, along with Six giving Eight a quick embrace which inspired both Five and None to approach their twins. Five gave his mate a kiss on the cheek and a reassuring, "We'll be back soon, Love." Meanwhile None gave Four a hug, which wasn't as romantic but Four enjoyed it just the same. "Are you ready, Two?" Five asked his mentor as he still stared at the pot of somewhat damp clay being held still by Eight.

"Actually I may stay here." Two insisted, "When you get back we'll be getting back to working on the watchtower anyway, and there's no point in me going along anyway. This is more than enough Stitchpunks to find the nails." A few seconds and Child tilted his head to whisper to Nine, "We're going to find nails? I thought we were all just avoiding One." The zippered male sort of shrugged in dismissal before Two insisted. "You go on ahead. I'll spend time with the twins and test my pottery making skills."

With that the others nodded and decided to leave, final goodbyes being said and Two taking over the pot of clay to help the twins carry it. Soon the three wandered in together, Six following behind, and two of the four clearly slumping. Both Six and Three were discouraged by their own events, but Two didn't seem to notice, and Four was trying not to notice. They carried the pot back into the study where the twins immediately went to pull out all that they had on clay, which was unfortunately a single, folded piece of paper.

Six sat down and began to draw again, but he didn't feel inspired still and miserably scribbled on the paper absentmindedly. Sometime after Two read over the paper he began explaining to the twins what he knew, and it was around this time that Julius and One came down into the study. One looked like he had his hands full carrying both Twenty-One and Twelve with him while Julius carried some of their things. "Ah, good, you didn't leave." One complimented the Inventor as he wandered behind him, "Because as of now they are partially you responsibility."

The Inventor chuckled at the comment and recommended the twins to, "Put in a bit more water with the clay. I don't think it is moist enough in its current state." Both agreed and began to do so as Two and Julius set up an area for the young Stitchpunks to play comfortably. Four waited until Two and One were distracted with their children and Six was asking Julius about where Shoestring was, to which the Scientist told him that Cat was keeping an eye on the small Beast and on the Training Beasts as well. Cat was a bit more comfortable around the Machines.

"_Are you okay?" _Four asked her twin cautiously and Three let a sad look slip through, _"Yes… I just… I'm fine." _Her sister didn't know if that was true or not, but just patted her shoulder in a comforting manner. They moistened the clay and kneaded it like dough as they waited for Two to return. Unfortunately and not Four looked back to see One and Two now gushing over Twelve who was struggling to make her first crawl across the blanket they laid down. Twenty-One cheering on right beside them. _"We lost him…" _Four pitifully pointed out to her twin.

Thankfully there was someone else willing to help. Suddenly Six appeared from the woodwork and silently began to knead the clay with them. "I think I know how to do this." He pointed out to the both, "You mix it, then you shape it, then you bake it, right? But it's not warm enough outside, we'll need to bake it over the fire." The twins nodded and Three flickered an image of the cauldron. "That'll work." Six quietly suggested before working at the mix again. They were confused that he wasn't drawing. They were also pondering if ink would ruin the clay mixture, but decided against it.

In fact, Six soon became one of their sole helpers even when Two returned to work a good while later. Immediately he felt the need to give Six a proper nudge of questioning, "I didn't know you were interested in this sort of art, Six." Six eagerly nodded, "Oh, yes! Very much so!" It was a lie; Six had never thought about pottery as the same kind of art as drawing. It was just that he was so wrung out on drawing that he had to do something, anything different. Besides, his sharp fingers made excellent mixers.

After a long process of mixing and testing, adding and questioning, the clay was deemed to be the right consistency. Two could only hope that there wasn't some sort of missing chemical they were supposed to add that the paper didn't mention or something. Either way, they took out a metal plate that they painstakingly found in one of the study cubbies and set it down on the book alongside One and Julius, Julius more interested in the pottery while One was clearly more interested in Two, watching him lean over and shape with his clever hands.

Two was the most interested on making pots and jars to hold water in. Water would be needed for the fevers that winter could bring, water would be needed for bathing in something other than the pool, and as inkwells were usually hoarded by Six this would be much easier to keep around. Though Two naturally didn't just think of water to be carried in them. The twins were more focused on things such as vases and were trying to form one while Six circled around like a hawk looking for something to do.

Eventually the pottery was formed and the metal plate was thankfully long enough to stretch over the top of the cauldron and rest. The pottery began to cook, though not very quickly, and the twins hoisted the now empty pot suggestively. "Yes, you two, why don't you get more and we'll make more? Just in case they don't all survive the baking." The two nodded eagerly and hurried out of the front of the Library. Hurried as much as possible with the heavy pot betwixt them.

Meanwhile One drew attention to Two, "Twelve is asleep. Look at her." Two looked down as instructed at the tired baby who was lying on her belly with her head tenderly tucked to the side. He found a warm endearment filling him and kneeled down to pick her up. Twenty-One watched him do so almost sluggishly and Two reached out to pet his head as he adjusted Twelve with the other hand. In her sleep the tiny female got a nice grip on his ties and seemed reluctant to let go. "Ready for a nap?" Twenty-One shook his head. "Are you sure? You can nap with your sister." Now Twenty-One reluctantly nodded.

Twenty-One didn't really enjoy naps, but hadn't yet grown out of his stage of needing one at least once a day. His enjoyment he got from 'protecting' his sister only made the prospect of naps slightly easier. While the other two occupants watched the pottery Two carried Twelve and One carried Twenty-One up to bed together. They tucked them into their own bed, blocking the edges with pillows so there was no risk of Twelve falling off, and began to fawn over them. One especially was petting their little heads as though they were precious, which they were to them.

Again nudges of want for more children bubbled in the back of Two's mind, but instead of focusing on them he tucked his head into One's shoulder tiredly. The Leader reached back to pet the side of Two's face, "I love you." He purred and Two returned, "I love you too." One continued with, "You've been overworking again, straining yourself too much." Two continued with, "Perhaps… But I need to keep busy. It keeps me alert." One finally ended with, "Then be a dear and draw me a bath."

Two had to suppress any form of laughter because of the sleeping children. "Draw you a bath? Can't you draw a bath?" He suggested playfully and One responded with, "It wouldn't be appropriate." Two rolled his optics in a playful and almost childish manner. "Oh, of course." He remarks playfully before adding in, "Let me go check on the watchtower again and I'd be glad to." At least One added in with a, "Thank you." The Inventor was more than willing to do it even if One was reluctant to do it himself for little reason.

The Inventor sat down on the basket-esque lift and raised steadily into the roof high above them. He stepped out of the lift and climbed the makeshift ladder onto the roof where he then crossed to the watchtower's platform. There were still tools left behind from him and Five and he slowly shifted things around. It was obvious that nothing else really needed doing and he prepared to head back down into the Sanctuary below. It was at that moment that he noticed something out of the corner of his optic and glanced over.

Far in the distance was a black dot moving through the sky, indistinguishable to Two's optics, and he blinked before looking around for Five's spyglass. It was fortunate that his usually precise apprentice had actually left the spyglass behind and peered through to see what it was. It only took two seconds of looking and horror spread through him. That black dot could be seen as clear as day, and looking this close he saw the long wings and sharp beak of a Winged Beast. A soft gasp resonated out as he realized it had to be the one from before.

It looked damaged, but it moved quickly, and Two set down the spyglass before running to drop down by the bucket lift. He only kneeled down to grab his folded lance out of his bag before letting himself drop down the lift, unfolding his weapon before arriving in the Sanctuary and running through. As he passed One, who was stepping out of the nearby hall, he called, "The Winged Beast is coming!" before hurrying to the other lift. He mentally scolded himself for not remembering to lower the other lit to the floor, but forgot quickly.

Hurrying out towards the front he found himself growing more fearful. The twins were out there alone and the others were gone. He was the last one left to defend them at the immediate moment, and it terrified him most of all.

* * *

**Mable: As you see this first chapter was…. A little quiet, but it isn't going to stay that way for too long if the Winged Beast has anything to say about it! Anyway, next chapter will be posted tomorrow, I hope everyone enjoyed!**


	29. Chapter 29: The Lofty Lair

**Mable: Here's chapter twenty-nine! I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

* * *

_**Fabric Runs Shallow**_

_Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Lofty Lair_

Three and Four were carefully filling the pot with clay when they heard the loud screech in the distance. Both looked upwards just in time to see it swoop by high overhead. Or, it looked high, but they felt a breeze from it. Falling back and stumbling to the feet the two girls were horrified by the discovery. It was then that Two suddenly called out from nearby, he was running as fast as possible through the courtyard to beat the Winged Beast, but as it turned around in the air he knew that they were about to be faced by it whether he got to the twins or not.

He did manage to arrive at their side and lunged on them, yanking them both down as the beast's claws grazed over them before it coasted into landing on the ground before them. It was rough, as the Beast was obviously injured, but at the same time it knew what it was doing. It didn't want to attack; it clearly wanted to take the Stitchpunks and bellowed at them with a sharp screech. Two raised his lance and pointed it at the Winged Beast daringly, but it only spurred it on further.

The Beast suddenly lunged forward, a claw dropping to latch onto Two's lance and almost Two himself. The other claw managed to get ahold of one of the twins, Four, and it took off of the ground again. Three and Two stared after in alarm as the Winged Beast took into the sky, only to turn around and start heading back towards the remaining two yet again. Perhaps it didn't like how Two fought back, but it was aiming straight for Three, so the Inventor got in front of her in an attempt to protect her.

The lance wasn't enough, Two wasn't enough, and the Winged Beast grabbed ahold of Three and part of Two's lance. As it took into the air the Inventor clung to his lance, unwilling to let it take his weapon and the twins and using the former to stay with the latter. He dangled off pitifully as he was dragged into the sky, looking back into the courtyard to see Six and Julius appearing. Both were unable to do a thing and instead watched with dread as the three were carried off to some unknown location.

One and Cat had gotten down into the Library when Six and Julius arrived with the terrible news. "The Winged Beast has taken off with them. All three of them." Julius informed and Cat was in near disbelief, "What would a Winged Beast want with the three of them?" One interrupted him, "That doesn't matter! With the others being gone we will have to go after them ourselves, we have no other choice." While One wasn't one to usually jump to going out hunting a Beast this had become remarkably personal in only a matter of minutes. He stormed back towards the lift, "I'm finding a weapon. They couldn't have possibly took all of them."

Once in the Sanctuary and in Eight's room, where he was digging for weapons, he began a brief dispute with Julius and Cat, "The children will not be left alone. Father, you will stay here." He insisted, but Cat disagreed, "If anyone can't leave it's me. I'm on Beast patrol, let Bergeron go." To which One suddenly asked, "If Six is fostering a Machine then can he not watch them?" Meanwhile, Six listened quietly and was feeling a bit disappointed. It seemed the standard consensus that Six was the weak link and the one to be left before.

Part of him nudged at the striped one's sore feeling and pointed out that this come about because of his recent slacking of telekinesis. _"You haven't been fighting. You haven't been scouting. They forgot you can do those things." _He spoke to himself as if he was another Stitchpunk, then spoke out loud to answer, "I don't think I can… Not after everything." The other part poked more, _"You're still suffering for one mistake? Nobody else had to wait this long for redemption." _Six sighed, "But I guess that's because I haven't done anything worth redeeming."

That was, until his mismatched optics suddenly flickered upwards onto the pocket watch clock hanging above him, "_But maybe I can?" _It was too high to reach. He instead gently eased into his telekinesis and lifted the watch before lowering it to his hands. It wasn't too heavy, but something about staring at the numbers littering the clock, guiding the flow of time, made him feel better. He could see his reflection in the polished lens and came to his own consensus. He had proved in the past that he could fight Beasts and he was going with One to do so.

But enough of going empty handed. He entered into the Workshop and sought out the thicker thread that was tied like rope. Of course it would be murder just trying to carry the pocket watch in his arms, but he felt like he needed it while he was out, so he tied it to his back, lacing the threads around him and through his key ring. Though at this point he actually face palmed when he realized that he couldn't very well see the clock anymore. Desperate for something, anything, he started to search through Two's cabinets.

In a box down in the bottom and back of the farthest one he found a group of mirror shards. Looking at them he realized that he could make something to assist himself in seeing the mirror, like a reflector. Six wasn't the best Stitchpunk for building mechanical contraptions but had watched Two, Five, and Nine enough to know what he was trying to accomplish. He was running out of time as he heard One exit Eight's room, followed by Cat and Julius. He hurried and attached the mechanism to the top of the pocket watch.

Now he had a mirror held in front and one in the back, which he could turn and adjust to see the pocket watch. He hurried into the throne room without another moment and stopped the three standing by the lift. One was already boarding when he called, "Wait!" he hurried to the lift and stepped inside, One staring at him as he did so before he announced, "I'm coming too. I can help you." One continued to stare before agreeing, "Fine… Did you create that contraption?" Six nodded with a healthy dose of pride.

"Then did you, at any time, touch your face?" Six blinked before tilting the mirror to face himself and noticing an inked hand mark on his face. So much for a grand reveal.

* * *

Two could see that they were heading towards a lofty building before they even got close enough to see most of it, but as they narrowed in he was surprised at how close the Beast's nest had been without him knowing. There was nothing in particular in it; it was obviously an old attic that had been broken open from the war, filled to the brim with pieces of cloth and such to make a bedding on the floor. The Winged Beast circled before abruptly dropping the three on a separate portion of the wooden floor that made its home.

At first Two thought this meant escape was possible, but as he straightened himself he realized that this wasn't the case. The Winged Beast had purposely put them on a bit of the floor that was against a wall that was no longer connected to the rest of the loft. Like an island in the sky, deathly high above the ground and looking over Two felt somewhat afraid. Heights didn't scare him before now, but it was a long fall, and it could hurt them badly. Worse still, it could probably kill them, Two wasn't even sure if this fall was survivable.

Suddenly the Winged Beast took back into the sky once again and flew off, determined to find more. Its behavior was erratic and confusing at best, but Two merely held the twins close in a protective manner, putting an arm around both and putting his back to the wall. Ignoring the wooden island's creak of protest he murmured, "We'll be fine, just keep away from the edge and don't move too much… You might fall." The twins weren't ignorant, they knew what danger they were in and could only hold onto the older male for dear life.

All they could do was wait and hope for the best.

* * *

One couldn't really believe that he was trekking through the Emptiness with Six on a rescue mission. They clearly weren't an impressive couple. One was carrying his blade tipped staff and a smaller knife of Eight's that he was able to hold like a sword, which he saw fitting if he compared himself to a medieval king. Six grabbed a fountain pen from the Library on his way out and used it like a walking stick, but didn't exactly have a weapon except for his powers. Either way, the two continued, walking nearly blindly. Six somewhat steered them, occasionally checking his watch for no reason.

"I can't believe this…" One murmured somewhat worriedly and somewhat frustrated, "Why would it come back? How could it come so quickly and how could it possibly appear right when-…" He huffed a bit before shaking his head, "Two, why do they target Two?" He asked nobody in particular and Six chimed in, "Two can handle it… He's a salty dog." One's optics widened briefly and he slowly looked back to Six, "What?" The Artist corrected, "I heard someone else say it. It's not a bad thing, it's a term of friendship."

He meant 'endearment', but the word slipped him briefly as One stared him down. "Don't you ever call him that again." One insisted. Not aggressive, just commanding, and seemingly insulted. So the striped one added in, "Two's mentioned it himself too…" To which One's optics again widened, this time to full circles as he stared at the younger. "My Creator…" He murmured, "I was given the title of Leader and Two, my mate, my second in command, has demoted himself to a Salty Dog." Six felt a flicker of amusement pass his lips and smothered it.

Then, suddenly, One stopped in his tracks and Six looked ahead only to see exactly what the Leader was glaring at. There was the Winged Beast flying past a building nearby. The Leader dropped behind a cinder block and Six hurried to move beside him before they peered out at the large Beast flying overhead. It was then that suddenly a bolt of white dashed over and Seven was beside them. One stared at her as though she had just dug herself out of the ground, "What- What are you doing here?!" He whispered in alarm.

"I should ask the same thing." Seven murmured before explaining, "The Winged Beast has been circling for a while. We're waiting for it to land so that we can attack." That's when Six chimed in, "You saw Two and the twins?" The Warrior looked confused and the leader was quick to explain, "It has taken Two, Three, and Four. Do you know where its next is?" Seven was surprised, but answered, "We think so. There's building down the street that it has been circling around quite a few times." As she said this, Five suddenly appeared, and One retorted, "Well look, now everyone's coming out of the woodwork."

"Two was taken?" Five asked in alarm and One added, "The twins as well. However you can clearly see that the Winged Beast doesn't have them now." He pointed out before insisting, "Before everyone else runs over here and stirs the bloody thing, Six and I are prepared to go retrieve them. Seven, you are used to running from anything and everything, you distract that contraption." Seven retorted with, "One, I think you confused me with you again. I don't run from anything, and when I do I don't run like some sort of folded in dinosaur."

She turned to look back at the beast while One sputtered and looked to Five, "What did she just say?! What did that mean?!" Five decided not to even try explaining what little he knew about dinosaurs and instead spoke, "I'll come with you. I'm no good against a Winged Beast anyway." It was more that he was clearly worried for his mentor and mate and everyone knew this. Without another word Five began to lead the two towards the building, only stopping when Six asked, "Notice something?" The Healer looked to him before giving a nervous smile, and saying he did.

Though Six was somewhat discouraged when he followed with, "You got a little ink on your…" Then gestured towards his eyebrows. Still Five managed to lead the other two to the building and reassured them. "We only saw one and if the others have it distracted then we should be safe for now." He insisted, almost more to reassure himself, while One and Six stared at the tall building with the damaged top. The Leader then bravely strode forward knowing that it was somewhat safe. Though upon entering the building a new threat emerged.

The only thing more dangerous than the Winged Beast was the building itself. As One stepped through the open doorway and over the broken pieces of door he noticed how soft the floor was. "Watch your step." He instructed as he edged inside before looking around, and huffing. "Where are the stairs?" He questioned and soon after Six pointed out the obvious stairs. Unfortunately, as oblivious as they were they weren't very intact. Halfway up the flight the steps reappeared, but from that point down the stairs had fallen through.

The railing did stand well enough the three climbed along the bottom of the railing to get to the second floor, then repeated the action to the third floor as they climbed. The attic stares were completely obliterated and because of such Five had to use a grappling hook to lock into the attic and then begin to pull himself up. Five was relatively good at climbing a rope without any knots or hoops in it, Six was able enough, but One found it immediately pressing. He was forced to abandon the blade and merely tuck the staff under his arm.

It was a shame that One wasn't as athletically inclined as some of the others. It was clearly because he wasn't as physically active as the others, but that was fine with him. Most of the time, at least. However he also made it to the top and climbed into a mess of limp laying cloth and clothing that was stained with oil. Before he could even get his bearings there was a low whisper of a call. "Five!" One recognized Two's voice and turning his head to face the direction he realized that Two simply hadn't seen the others yet. Then he noticed where Two was.

"Don't worry! We're coming to rescue you!" Five called over before looking down at the obvious gap in the flooring that fell down into one of the earlier floors. A clever trick by the Winged Beast by far. One hurried over and looked at the platform before looking to the Healer who was already budding an idea. "The harpoon." One suggested and their plan linked into one, and he reset the harpoon with another grapple before firing it across the gap to above them in a small crack of wall. Two checked it to secure it as the twins smiled, pleased that they were being saved.

"Climb over and make haste!" One called before hearing Six patter closer, "One… I have a bad feeling…" He murmured quietly and was promptly followed by Two looking to the twins. "I'll brace the rope, you two hurry across!" The twins nodded and started to climb, latching their hands and legs around the rope as they hung under it edging along. Unfortunately they were almost there when suddenly there was a loud, piercing cry through the sky.

* * *

"I've got a plan." Nine announced as he stared at the circling Winged Beast above them. The other Stitchpunks listened, "Go ahead." Child coaxed and the zippered male cunningly pointed out, "We'll make a Dummy-punk." The albino raised a brow at the wording and Nine looked back to the others, all of them huddled behind the low wall, and turned to Eight. "Where'd you see that tar again?" Eight raised a brow as well, "You mean where'd I step in that tar? Back there behind that engine or something." He pointed back to an old motor some ways away.

Nine hurried over, leading None and Child both with him. The tar was thick and sludge-like, having mixed with mud, oil, and perhaps more than Nine didn't question. Thankfully None seemed to miraculously understand the plan and was eager to help, finding some fabric from a flag nearby that they bundled like a sack, tying with strips made from the flag. Then, naturally, they made smaller sacks, tying them together to make for the fact that they didn't have the means to really stitch them together.

"This better work." Eight murmured to Seven as he watched Nine shovel the tar into the makeshift sacks with an old spoon. "Six looked alright?" Seven nodded, "He looked fine, Eight, I don't think you have to worry about him." The Guard didn't make a comment after that, but she was pretty sure he was agreeing somewhat while still being skeptic. Either way, the Stitchpunks soon finished their plan and Nine lugged the tar filled sack that barely resembled a Stitchpunk over towards an open area.

Child used the Machines obliviousness towards him to assist them, huddling behind an overturned piece of cement and slipping his machine arms out to hold the dummy steady while Nine tugged at the makeshift threads to move the arms, crouching above Child. "Come on." He whispered to himself quietly, desperately, "Take the bait." The albino male beneath him murmured, "I don't think it can here you, Poppet, but feel free to keep trying." Nine's retort was cut off by the Winged Beast's sudden interest in the bait.

"There it is!" He smiled confidently, "I knew it. Now watch what happens when it takes the bait." He knew what was coming and the Winged Beast swooped down towards the small group to grab the Dummy-punk. The second its claws sunk into the tar they were trapped. It attempted to pull them back, and could somewhat, but the sludge stuck fast, and its claws were taken out of commission for the current moment. While it was currently trapped Eight and Seven ambushed the flying machine.

Unfortunately the Winged Beast didn't need the claws to fight. It craned its neck and sent its harpoon tail careening past both of the two. They ducked out of the way and Eight took a swing with his heavy knife. The Winged Beast's more injured wing popped out to block the blade which fell again along the torn bit of fabric. The Winged Beast then gnashed his beak out and struck Eight head on which knocked him back and tore one of his buckles loose. He swore and Seven jumped forward to attack.

Her spear went into another section of the already torn wing and triggered an abrupt cry from it. It then surprised them yet again as it promptly took to the sky, dragging the Dummy-punk and nearly Nine and Child with it. As it took into the sky the rest of the Stitchpunks stared after it, Seven growling to herself, "It fled again! I don't understand this- Why won't it stay and fight?!" Now None chimed in, "Better yet, where's it going?!" The rest of the group felt an eerie chill as the answer came to them immediately.

It was returning to its lair.

* * *

**Mable: Fun fact 1#: Six's pocket watch design is actually a nod to the original design of Six, which had him carrying a pocket watch on his back. Since all of the others usually leave the Sanctuary with something in their possession it seemed awkward to have Six walk around without anything.  
Fun fact 2#: The Mirror shards that Two has saved in a box are the ones from the mirror Child broke in the beginning of 'Souls Run Deep'. He's forgotten his plan to glue them together once again, but they're still there.  
Fun fact 3#: The Dummy-punk was inspired by the original '9' short where Nine makes one to fool the Fabric-Stealing Cat Beast. The scene plan was done much better there, but he had only minutes to do one here and longer to plan one there.  
Next chapter will be posted tomorrow! I hope everyone enjoyed!**


	30. Chapter 30: The Stolen Saved

**Mable: Here's chapter thirty! I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

* * *

_**Fabric Runs Shallow **_

_Chapter Thirty: the Stolen Saved_

Three had climbed onto the attic ledge and Four was nearly there when suddenly the Winged Beast flew overhead. Five gasped in alarm before having a second to register as it swooped towards the rope being used to cross, pulling its wings in a bit so that it could. Five only had a second to yank Four onto the ledge before the Winged Beast used its scissor beak to clip the rope before turning to land on the other side of the loft, roaring loudly. Five reloaded the harpoon, but had ran out of grapples, and had to fire a needle with a rope connected across.

Then he handed the rope to One and turned to face the Winged Beast while the Leader looked to Two, "Hurry! Quickly!" Two didn't wait, he started to scurry across the rope, hanging underneath it like the twins had. Meanwhile, Six was the new target of the Winged Beast, and promptly faced it head on. Lifting his pen he faced the Beast threateningly, trying to detour it and looking around for something decent to throw. A loose brick half seemed well enough and he struggled to pull it from the wall.

He struggled, his telekinesis warring with it as Five fired upon the Winged Beast to distract it. A sharp pain spread through Six's head as the brick slid free and he was forced to avert his optics, instead catching a glint from the mirror shard and staring at the numbers on the pocket watch on his back. Maybe it was just in his mind, but Six suddenly felt the headache give in, and even though he wasn't focused by staring he was shocked to realize that the brick was moving quicker. It was almost like watching out of the corner of his optics made it easier.

Maybe the pocket watch was useful after all. Watching it threw the mirror he threw the brick as hard as he could and only let his optics really move to look over when it had smashed against the Winged Beast's head. The Winged Beast stumbled in place and Six grew more excited as he sought out something else to throw. Unfortunately, the Winged Beast was now looking towards him. He lifted the pen again like a spear as it lugged towards him. One was the only Stitchpunk focused on Two at the moment and it was a good thing he was.

Suddenly the needle lodged into the opposite wall just wasn't enough and started to slowly slide out. Two could feel it in the rope and tried to move slower in an attempt not to jar it loose, but it failed, and as the needle and thread sprung free Two suddenly dropped. He gripped the rope with all of his might and slid only a bit down it, swinging and dangling a little below the ledge and staring down at what could very well be counted as an abyss. One wasn't about to let the smaller drop. Lesser upper arm strength or not, he reeled the other in, ignoring any of his body's protests.

It was only when Two's hands gripped onto the ledge that One released the rope and that was to attend to him. He pulled him to his feet, took one look at the Winged Beast and ran over to grab the twins. Grabbing them by the back of their hoods he nearly dragged them, "Hurry now! This building is a death trap!" Indeed it was. Every time the Beast dove at Six and Six barely managed to escape, or the same with Five, the floors would creak in protest and only occasionally make a noise that sounded suspiciously like cracking instead.

One jumped to climb down first, followed by Two who promptly called to Five and Six. "It's no good! It's not planning on backing down!" Five knew that he and Six couldn't handle it alone and nodded before looking to Six. "We need to distract it and escape! Any second one of us will fall!" Six nodded in agreement before glancing at the flimsy roof. "I can… I can pull a board down?" He questioned himself as he stared at one that looked good enough to do the job. The Healer looked upwards as well and upon seeing it knew what he needed to do.

Putting his harpoon on his back he braced himself before calling, "Hey! Over here!" His voice stumbled; Five wasn't as good at making distractions as Nine was and stumbled back nervously as the Beast looked to him. "Over here! Come over here!" He choked out as he started to run underneath the board. The Winged Beast did follow, but it took its own time, and Six used this time preciously as he worked at the board that was still tightly gripped by the roof. With one last almighty pull it finally cracked and gave, collapsing on the Winged Beast.

Five dove to get away and ended up going over the edge beside the rope, only barely able to grab it before he plummeted. This would've been fine if not for his shaking of the rope triggering One, who was much closer to the next floor, to release his grip and fall to the wooden ground. "One!" Two gasped before looking upwards, "Five?! Six?!" Five called down, "We're okay!" Before beginning to descend. Six took a bit longer to run around the Beast to get to the rope, but was pleased to see the Winged Beast struggling to right itself again, which meant they could escape.

Six began to climb down as Two made it to the bottom and to One's side as he sluggishly sat upwards. "Are you alright?" His voice was bubbling with worry and One waved it off, "Yes, yes, I'm fine. Just a bit of a fall. We have to get out of here." He was insistent and pressing, which meant he was most likely hurting and simply knew that it wouldn't be fortunate to be hurt while trying to escape. Either way the Inventor helped him up to his feet, watching with some worry as he noticed that One was keeping weight off of his left leg.

Suddenly he dropped down to feel over it carefully. "We haven't any time for that." One wearily reminded, but Two was insistent, and soon he murmured, "It feels like this sprung out of place. Considering how far you fell this is probably the least traumatizing injury you can receive, but it will need to be treated." The Leader insisted, "We don't have time!" It was at that moment that the Winged Beast let out a furious cry from above and tore out of its nest, circling the house in rapid circles and looking inside for the Stitchpunks.

Two and Five both helped One hobble down through the house while the twins followed and Six brought up the rear. He was perhaps the only one smiling, the only one who felt a rush of being alive from their war with the Winged Beast. They got out of the front door and One steered Two and Five under the rickety front steps to hide and to rest himself. His leg was throbbing and it was becoming a little harder to walk. They lowered him to the ground as Two took charge to address the leg, Five was almost surprised that he didn't just let him handle it.

"Three, Four, keep a watch out." Two instructed as he massaged the sore area, "Here, we'll take this nice and slow. I'm just going to lock the spring back into proper position." One immediately challenged this with, "You said something 'sprung' out of place. Nothing about a spring." Two rebutted simply, "What better to have 'sprung' than a spring? Here, don't move for a second and I'll just…" Suddenly he pressed in and began to guide the metal spring back into its proper position. One held his breath and clutched his staff, refusing to give in to any sign of weakness.

There was a small click and Two exhaled in relief. "There, fixed." He dusted his hands and stood, unlike some of the others he didn't need to crouch under the steps. "I won't lie, it is going to hurt for a few days and you will have a temporary limp, but as long as you don't overdo it…" He paused to peer out of a crack to see the Winged Beast circling around before flying off in a random direction, "you'll be fine… Alright, it's gone, but if my mental compass is still intact then it is heading back to the Library. Is there a back way in?"

While they had been living there for awhile there hadn't really been a need to get in through the back of the Library before now. Thankfully the twins knew the Library backwards and forwards and nodded immediately. Soon they were walking and limping homewards. They actually saw the others on the way, but Five did a quick hand signal towards the sky, suggesting that they were still in danger, and the group silently hurried home the rest of the way. Upon approaching they could see the Winged Beast still circling, but just slipped in through the front.

Once inside the group was abuzz, checking on one another quickly, with the twins being the first targeted. Seven hurried over to them and checked them both. "Are you alright?" She asked and they nodded before reaching forward to grab her, to embrace her in seeking comfort, neither feeling bad about embracing who was almost like their sister, and she held them close to her chest. "It's alright. We'll take care of the Beast." She insisted, but Three and Four suddenly felt strange, looking too each other with unsureness.

Meanwhile Eight approached Six who smiled to him, "We didn't defeat it, but I fought it." He insisted with pride and Eight looked quizzical and was planning to point something out. Six interrupted with an assumption, "Ink on my face?" He offered with a small smile to the male when the Guard corrected, "Yeah, but you're wearing a watch." The striped one glanced into the mirror, "Oh… Yeah… It looks strange, but…" he trailed off with a bit of a goofy smile and Eight smiled a little in amusement at his hesitance.

"It helps me fight." Six insisted and Eight quickly became curious, "It does?" Six nodded eagerly, "It does! When I watch the numbers, watch the time, it helps me focus. I don't have to even look at the object." He was going to keep rambling when Eight caught on, "Wait, you don't have to look at something to move it?" From what Eight knew, Six had needed vision to move things, as proven before when his targets were behind books. "Uh huh! Well, they sort of have to be in vision, out of the corner of my optic, but still."

Eight was clearly impressed and suggested, "You know, it's been a while since we've done any training or anything. Maybe we should try to work with this." More so, Eight was very curious about how much Six could do. Eight was always interested in weapons, fighting, and skills or such so hearing that Six was becoming able to fight better was impressing and interesting Eight. "I'd like that." Six eagerly admitted to the larger and took his mate's hand lovingly, smiling warmly and with pure relief that the ordeal was over.

About this time Cat appeared down the lift and approached the group while Two helped One past him. "Twelve and Twenty-One doing well?" Two asked and Cat quickly nodded, "They're fine. You?" He pointed a One's leg and the Leader insisted, "Well enough." He insisted, trying to pretend that he wasn't struggling when he was, Two just gave Cat a little smile before helping the older male into the lift. The two headed into the Sanctuary where they soon found Julius with the young Stitchpunks. Twenty-One in the middle of a very obvious fit.

He was most likely having a fuss over his parents being gone as when he saw them he nearly dashed over towards them. His hands were outstretched and he grappled onto Two's leg, "Papa! Daddy!" His voice was mulled with obvious dry sobs and One looked to Julius who somewhat shrugged. Scientist or not, it was an unknown what really set of Twenty-One, and knowing his age it could have been anything. Two sort of believed that perhaps he was disturbed when he awoke to find One and Two missing it disturbed him.

"It's okay, Little One." Two smiled warmly, "We're home and we're all alright. Daddy hurt his leg, though." While Twenty-One probably didn't understand how he was hurt or anything, he did look to his Daddy ad reach for him. To keep One from having to bend over, Two did so instead, lifting Twenty-One so that he could see One who petted his head gently. The young boy buried his face against his Daddy's arm, clutching his Papa's ties. Julius approached the happy family with the missing member, being the younger baby who watched the scene in confusion.

Yet she actually had a little bit of a smile. Not at her brother's behavior, she didn't really understand it, but just at her parents being home, and Two took her in his other arm, holding her close as he looked down upon them. For a split second One actually considered what he would do without Two, if he would have come home alone. He didn't know if he would be able to bear it and yet knew that he would be forced to, as he would have to take care of their children. He could only for now be thankful that Two was alright. That and promise himself that he would never let that happen.

Meanwhile, downstairs yet again the others were starting to ease finally, but it was at this time that the twins started to act strange. None was the one to approach Seven about it. "Four doesn't want to talk about it…" He pointed out, "And Three convinced Five that she's fine, but I think something wrong." None explained as he followed Seven who was heading around to check the windows and roof for any signs of the Winged Beast. "None, they're probably still recovering from the attack. That Beast did kidnap them, lift them high in the air, frighten them."

Yet None was insistent. "It's not just that, Seven, can you just ask them? They might feel better telling you." The Warrior finally exhaled and nodded, "Alright, None, calm down. I'll go see what's bothering them." She was pretty sure she knew what it was but since None insisted there was no harm in going to check just in case. The twins were back in their study again, seemingly holding away and crammed over a book that they were feverishly flipping through. "Three? Four?" Seven spoke to alert them and their optics shot over.

Immediately they rushed forwards towards her eagerly and their optics flickered rapidly. She blinked in surprise; None must have been mistaken, they weren't upset at all. If anything they were too eager about something that they were reading and the Warrior smiled to herself. She would just tell None later that they had perked once they began their work again. However, they seemed to want her for something and she smiled, "What are you two up to?" They glanced to each other eagerly before Three gestured to her spear.

Seven offered it to her thinking she wanted to see it, which she did. She held the spear in her hands eagerly before moving it around a little like she was attacking. Seven thought she was playing at first before Four began to point at Three and nod, as though they were trying to say something. Knowing the twins for so long had made Seven somewhat familiar with their choice of speech and she guessed, "You… You want to learn how to fight?" She guessed and the two promptly began to nod, eagerly, happily.

"Girls, I know that the Winged Beast scared you," She started dismissively and the two were already starting to go limp, "but there's no need to rush into anything. You don't have to fight; you two are too smart to be getting unnecessary scars." Indeed, Seven didn't want to see the twins with some of the injuries that the others had received. However, they didn't seem dissuaded, and if anything they seemed even more determined. Three continued to do attacking motions and Four put her hands together like she was pleading with the older.

Seven wasn't in a very fortunate position and she attempted to just put her foot down. "You're both a bit young…" Though she had to promptly cut off as their reactions were sudden and certain. They shook their heads, Three looked annoyed, Four looked worried, and through this they stated their minds clearly. They didn't believe they were children anymore and they were insisting that it was time for them to learn. She knew she wouldn't be able to convince them elsewise and while she didn't fully agree with their decision she knew she had little choice.

"Okay, okay." She submitted and the two stopped their convincing to listen. "I'll teach you how to defend yourself, but we'll have to take this nice and slow. This is not something you can learn immediately, it's different from just reading a book. Your mind may learn quickly but your body will need time, so just because I am going to teach you doesn't mean I want either of you running out onto the battlefield." She strictly pointed out and both nodded eagerly in understanding. She exhaled tiredly, "Then I will teach you. Tomorrow morning we'll begin."

The two females were very excited and whispered with flickering optics vigorously before thanking Seven with taking turns to embrace her. They soon scurried back over to their books which she now noticed were full of pictures of various weapons. She crossed her arms worriedly before abruptly feeling an arm around her shoulder, draping there. She knew it was Cat, he was the only one bold enough to randomly lay on her without warning, and he spoke, "I know it's hard watching the young ones leave the nest, but it happens."

"Nobody's leaving the next yet." Seven quipped, "I'll teach them, they need to know, but nobody is ready to leave any nest." She then added in with a, "How long were you standing there?" The male shrugged a little, "Twenty seconds. If you didn't want to do it I could always show them the ropes." He insisted, but Seven gave him a discouraging look, "I think I can handle it…" She exhaled a bit with a sigh. Looking at the twins, hunched over their book looking pleased, she realized how she had been dreading the day that they would decide they were adults.

Now they had to face the horrors of life and she couldn't do anything to protect them. A part of her had always wished that she had someone to do so for her; she had never had a guiding female in her life. It wasn't as though she could do anything to change it though and instead she turned away. "Come on, Cat. I could use a break." She headed off into the Library to find some solace, Cat eagerly followed as per usual.

* * *

**Mable: So yes, Cat is officially a stalker like that last sentence suggests. XD Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed! Next chapter right around the corner!**


	31. Chapter 31: The Inspiration Lapse

**Mable: Here is chapter thirty-one! I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

* * *

_**Fabric Runs Shallow**_

_Chapter Thirty-One: The Inspiration Lapse_

It was a quiet morning in the workshop. Two was writing something down with Six sitting nearby, rocking Shoestring. Since Shoestring's arrival Six had become a little closer to Two as he was constantly asking him parental advice. The most recent being, "I feel bad because I left him alone. Do you think he's upset with me?" Six's surprising innocence in such a situation was endearing to Two, and he reassured the striped one that Shoestring probably hadn't noticed as he was asleep for most of the time.

Two's own children had calmed considerably from the night before. Twenty-One's fit had ended and presently Nine and One were in the throne room again trying to get him to adapt to the new Training Beast. This time their problems were coming because of Toto's sudden need to take the baby back into her makeshift nest. If at any point he was unattended, she'd pick him up and carry him away, leaving Twenty-One confused. Twelve, on the other hand, seemed to have begun to bloom overnight. She awoke with a pleasant smile and Two had been rewarded with a little giggling noise after playing with her belly.

Then again, it also could have been the gurgling noise of a newly created voice box, but Two liked the idea that he had amused his 'little bunny'. She was now sitting in the nearby seat that Two had made especially for her. He had given her a rattle to play with and she had passing interest in it; sometimes he could hear her shaking it vigorously, other times she didn't shake it at all and these times Two pulled away from his writings to give her some much needed attention while Six watched wanting to learn.

"It doesn't seem too hard." Six had quietly murmured and Two blinked, "I'm sorry?" He offered and the younger quipped, "Raising a baby. It doesn't seem too hard." He repeated and the Inventor smiled warmly, "No, Six, it really isn't." He leaned over to tickle the tiny one's belly as she began to suckle her free fist. "All they need is a lot of love and a good dose of patience." He then noticed Six's odd hesitance and looked over to see that the Artist was staring into nothing again, quietly thinking and looking unnaturally somber.

"Six, I've noticed that you have been awfully quiet recently." Two pointed out in a gentle fashion as he crossed around the workbench to approach and rest a hand on his striped shoulder. "What's been bothering you?" The Artist didn't exactly want to talk about it considering that he would have to admit that it was a problem, but admitted, "Nothing… I'm just a little confused. That's all." Two was a little taken aback. Six wasn't one to label himself as 'confused' and if that was considered a defense then the actual truth could only be a bit more worrisome.

He sat down alongside the Artist and smiled at him before gesturing to take Shoestring. Six handed him over and from the way the small Beast was silent and optic was closed he assumed that it was asleep. "Is this about wanting a baby?" He prodded and the striped one shrugged a little, "I… No. It's not… I'd like a baby, but I have Shoestring, and he's not- He gives enough love. I don't need a baby yet." Something about his wording was guiding Two in the right direction and he now coaxed, "I noticed your little transformation yesterday. How peculiar that you can take advantage of a pocket watch!"

His voice was laced with pride, "That was very quick witted of you to learn and because of that this morning I took the time to set the watch correctly." Six perked a bit and Two laid Shoestring down on the sitting bench in his bundle of blankets, tucking him in like a Stitchpup before standing and crossing to get the pocket watch. He hoisted it up and carried it over before the Artist before showing him. "It was actually an hour behind so I set it correctly. Everything else is in perfect shape." Six reached out and took the heavy object, staring into it, watching the second hand slowly tick.

"But I must say that your transformation was abrupt." Two pointed out, "Not that I am ungrateful for you rescuing me, but it does strike me odd that such a change came so rapidly. Did something inspire you?" The striped one shrugged a bit before murmuring, "I just… Wanted to be useful." He admitted and Two was concerned, going briefly to check on Twelve who dropped her rattle. "Now Six, you know you're very useful. I don't know what would convince you otherwise." He handed over the rattle and watched as Twelve's face lit up again.

"I can't see anymore." Six suddenly blurted out and immediately regretted it. He felt uncomfortable and awkward bringing it up, but he had to, he had to tell someone. Two blinked and looked to him in confusion. Before he could ask, Six continued, "The nightmares- I barely have them anymore and when I do I don't see anything. I lost my sight of what's to come." He dropped his head into his knees which he pulled to his chest, "I always thought I wanted the nightmares gone, and I did, and now they're gone and I lost the one thing I had. I don't know when the things are coming anymore. I lost my sole use."

"Now, Six, that is simply not true!" Two protested, but Six sourly continued, "It is! I was created, born, so that I could see the visions and warn you all. It was the only reason I was created like this. Now I've lost it, I've lost my gift, curse, gift; I lost myself!" He was perhaps exaggerating, but this has been building for weeks. "I didn't even have an uncomfortable feeling yesterday… I had no idea that the Beast was coming… So even though I fought it, I didn't stop it from happening, and that's what I was supposed to do."

He was mortified by himself and the Inventor's features softened considerably as he realized the truth. "Oh Six…" He let out the sympathetic sigh, "Six, why have you been holding onto this alone? We're your family and we love you." He pointed out, but in this situation love wasn't enough and the Inventor sat down beside him again, putting his arm around him. "An Artist's job is not always just to show others the way. Remember all of those drawings of Paris? Belgium? Now we have a window into the past; that's something you do just fine."

This might have eased Six a little as he raised his head a bit, still looking overly melancholy. "Let's take for example myself. I am the Inventor, I invent objects to make our lives a bit more comfortable, but when was the last time you saw me invent?" The striped one was confused, "The Watchtower." Two waved it off, "I didn't invent that, I rebuilt it. Old plans from an old invention. The truth is that I haven't invented anything in quite a while even though that's my primary purpose in life. But that's okay; that doesn't mean I'm not an Inventor or that I won't invent again."

"Then what does it mean?" Six asked meekly. "It means that I have become distracted by my other motives, that the need hasn't arisen for a new invention yet, that we have the freedom to turn away from our primary purpose and be able to take up other tasks for enjoyment, for need, and for the others." Now Six was starting to catch on and, even if he didn't think he was, he was starting to feel quite a bit better and let his legs dropped to the floor. "So… I still have use? Even though I can't…"

Two perked, "Of course you have use! And, yes, while your power is a gift, sometimes it is best to have some surprises in life." He insisted to which Six tilted his head, "But you were taken away." Two agreed, "Indeed I was, but perhaps it was a good thing. The Beasts are a danger, but without them the world will be empty, and Shoestring is a prime example that they can be peaceful creatures. While I'm not gullible enough to say that there are not clearly dangerous ones, I will say that maybe knowing we need to evolve to survive gives us a reason to keep going further."

Six agreed with a quick nod, feeling a lot better now that he had this conversation with Two who finished with, "How about today we keep each other company? You can draw, I can ponder inventing, and perhaps we will be good luck to one another." The Artist perked eagerly, "I… I'd like that." With that a plan was formed for both to find their purposes once again.

* * *

"Thank you for this." Seven thanked as she received the weapons into her grasp, "I know this was such short notice." Eight was surprisingly dismissive, "Don't worry about it. They were small, didn't take much time." Naturally when the Warrior needed weapons for the twins she went to Eight and thankfully he had been able to concoct something quickly overnight. Of course she could have done it herself, but he was the one who had the supplies on such short notice and was the one who shockingly had the most patience to stop and work.

Eight also made very high quality weapons. One would naturally expect that Eight, the Guard who occasionally slacked to pay homage to a magnet, wouldn't put much thought into making a weapon, but he was very methodical. He made sure the grip was fresh, the blade was sharp, and that not a flaw could be detected on any level. It was quite admirable in Seven's optics. "You sure that's enough?" Eight asked, putting his sharpening stone against the wall beside one of Six's half-filled ink wells. Seven nodded, "Of course. It'll be the twins' first weapons after all."

The Guard soft of shrugged in agreement. Perhaps he too was assuming that the twins would need to start small now that he thought about it. Seven wasn't sure but she dismissed herself and headed out to meet the twins who were waiting for her downstairs. As usual they were pleased to see her and eager to learn. "Are you both ready?" She asked as she handed over the weapons, one to each, and they stared at them in surprise. After all, they were no more than knives and they looked to her curiously.

"I was thinking about it last night and you two are quieter, less noticeable, and much better at stealth than the rest of us." The twins looked to each other before nodding in agreement. They had been able to use stealth before now so it made more than adequate sense. Maybe they were a little disappointed, but the knives were still well made, and longer than average which made them more dagger like than anything. Besides that it was their own actual weapons so they felt a bit of an affinity towards them already.

"With these knives I am going to teach you about stealth fighting. It would be best with your skills." They both nodded eagerly and she brought Three closer to demonstrate on her. "Hold your knife like this. It seems like holding it underhanded would be easier, but that would only be if you are coming down on something in which strikes downward would be appropriate. Every other time hold the blade upwards, but tilt your wrist forward to point it forward." She guided the other and made sure they were holding it correctly. "Keep a firm grip, the last thing you want to do is lose your weapon in combat."

She circled them and mentally went over where to go from this. She didn't want to rush into anything but didn't know which other way to go. "As such, with stealth combat you don't rush into a fight. You try to stay hidden and quiet, using the shadows to your advantage and then-." She heard him coming and exhaled in weariness before he showed himself, jumping her from behind and wrapping his arms around the female's frame. "Then you take them from behind, hooking your blade right under the sweet spot, the weak spot'." She wondered if he thought he was clever commandeering her teaching.

One of his sharp fingers rubbed under her chin and she rolled her optics. "Cat, don't tempt me, I'm about to show them how to get out of your hold." She then looked to the twins who were still holding their knives properly and watching them interested, "It's seldom that you're going to encounter something your own size, but if you do then don't be intimidated by the Stitchpunk likeness." Then she brought her elbow back and slammed it into Cat's chest. The male choked a bit before insisting, "Just shake it off, nothing hurts worse than letting your prey get away."

Seven started to pry herself out, "Give it a rest, Cat, I'm trying to teach the girls how to defend themselves." She got free and crossed to the twins before Cat suddenly challenged, "Yeah? What would a spear wielder know about knives? It's not just gouging at whatever's ahead, there's a difference in balance." She huffed at being demoted and turned back towards him, "The last time I checked you didn't use a knife either." He waved his claws at her, "Same difference. If you would allow me to demonstrate."

The Warrior really didn't want to do this, but gave in. If it would help teach the twins then she couldn't deny it. "Very well." She lifted her spear and pointed it towards Cat who was quick, "You have a knife. It's small but it's a blade, so you can reflect other attacks." He used his claw to nudge the spear away like he was deflecting it. "The knife is the same as any blade. As long as you balance weight and strength you will have enough time to slip out of the way." He moved beside Seven who stood still, waiting for him to finish his presentation.

"Let's take a Cat Beast for example." He instructed, "Once you get behind the claws you've got an opening right in front of you. Turn your knife upwards and go into the neck. That's a Cat Beast's weak spot." Both of the twins nodded and Cat continued, "Other Beasts have weak spots, but they aren't that easy to get to. Best case with a Seamstress is to cut your way out. Best case with a Chancellor Drone is to cut your way in." Seven now straightened and went to move her spear back when Cat suddenly griped it harder and refused to release.

"You're off balance, Dove, you don't want me to trip you." Cat teased and Seven rolled her optics, "I appreciate your help teaching the twins, Cat, but we don't have time for this." Giving any sign of being amused would only trigger him to keep going. As such she tried to pull away, but he decided to slip forward and catch her ankle with his. She actually didn't plan to do more than stumble, but Cat practically leapt forward to 'catch her'. So he randomly had an arm around her and she was soft of laying on him. "Very funny." She responded before pulling back, somewhat amused at Cat's antics.

But then Cat did something she didn't expect. For a short while he didn't let go, he just held her there, obviously trying to be playful by restraining her in his almost kitten like way. Seven realized it, realized that she was laying on his chest, and suddenly felt very uncomfortably. It was a sharp pang of warmth spreading through her cheeks and body, one that made her feel claustrophobic and uneasy, and she knew she had to pull back. He let her go and she turned to the twins, "Okay." She nearly blurted out with her voice wavering in embarrassment, "Let's continue."

Four tapped on her cheeks perhaps to signal green leaking through Seven's cheeks. She hoped that she wasn't blushing hard enough to be seen and attempted to rub it away. "Now about stance…"

* * *

"Ah!" Six cried out in surprise as an inkblot spread on the paper. The small inkwell had toppled over and almost ruined the drawing. Two, who was sitting at the workbench, leaned back in his stool and looked over towards the younger. "Had a spill?" He asked and the striped one nodded, "Yeah… I don't think this is working." They had been addressing their purposes for the last hour or so and so far everything had been well enough. Two was still chewing his quill in thought, Six was still trying to scribble something that 'felt right'.

The older tossed the younger one of his work rags. "Don't get discouraged, Six. No use in crying over spilled ink." He chuckled at his own joke before leaning back against the other island workbench and trying to get his mind together. Six sighed and dabbed at the paper before standing and approaching the older to show the picture. "What do you think?" Two looked at it, humming as he focused past the large ink blot. "It's a warzone?" He suggested and the Artist nodded a little. "I… I think so. I just didn't know what else to draw."

Two looked at it for a second and smiled, "It looks great!" Six didn't believe him and tapped on the inkblot. "Oh that isn't too visible! Because of the canister it almost looks like a bomb, except there's blackness instead of…" He began to slowly fade off before humming and taking the picture to stare at for a few seconds. That's when Two suddenly wrote something down, "It's a great picture, Six, I just need…" He began to write something down and Six was taken aback. "Is something wrong?"

"No, no! Not wrong at all! I just suddenly got an idea." It was almost as though he was suddenly inspired as he began to slowly drift into his own thought and his own written words. Six watched in disbelief; his drawing had somehow triggered Two to spontaneously begin inventing again. Then a flicker of pride flickered through his body; suddenly he was feeling useful again, and he loved it.

* * *

**Mable: Due to time constraints, again, I'm going to end this arc at four chapters. Which is better than my originally planned three chapters. The next arc is going to be quite a bit longer though. I shall post again next Tuesday! I hope everyone enjoyed!**


	32. Chapter 32: The Shore-Bound

**Mable: Here's chapter thirty-two of 'Fabric Runs Shallow'! I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

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_**Fabric Runs Shallow**_

_Chapter Thirty-Two: The Shore-Bound_

Two had been working for quite some time on his new project. For days he had been testing the same canister over and over, writing down results, and then pondering his work further. The only time he was away from his work was when he was with the children or when he spent a few hours sleeping. His last test had recently gone off with a slight hitch as the metal canister had opened too soon. "He said it's like a smoke bomb." Nine explained to the others who were idly standing in the throne room, "but it uses ink and when it goes off sprays it like a mist."

One was listening from the throne and guessed, "This is why he continues to appear with an ink stained vest?" Nine nodded, "It is, but it went off pretty well. It looks like it can really work." None, who had been there as well, chimed in as well, "Maybe that means he'll be done soon, so we don't need to worry." Yet the rest of the Stitchpunks seemed concerned. Except for Six, Six had been trying to emulate Two's success for the last while and was again trying to sketch something amazing that would inspire others.

Mostly One was the one who was concerned. Two was going on for days obsessing about this project and his mate wanted it resolved as quickly as possible. "We need to get his mind away from it now. This is not a simple 'project' on his part, it is an obsession, and all obsessions are unhealthy." Child raised a brow and asked, "As for your obsession with Two's working conditions?" One scoffed and answered, "Equally unhealthy and both must be stopped immediately. Two birds with one stone." Eight gave him a look of complete confusion, but One outright ignored him.

"We could go out." Five suggested and the twins seemed to nod with him. "Two mentioned trying to travel somewhere a while ago. It's been a while since we've went out." Again the Leader was dismissive, "We have been out. He should know, he was the one taken by the Winged Beast." Since Julius was standing there he spoke and insisted, "Actually, that would be an excellent idea. Belgium was our last excursion and we were forced to come home before we were able to actually explore and enjoy ourselves."

One didn't really want to do so, but was willing enough to go along, "Very well. Any ideas?" Now the twins looked like they wanted to make suggestions, but rom the way one would shake their head, then the other as though they were interjecting it was obvious that they couldn't come with a suggestion. One tried to simplify it, "Somewhere closer. I do not want to make this an excursion out of Luxembourg." This meant Paris wasn't an option and suddenly Seven offered, "The shore wasn't that far. Or that lake that you thought was the ocean."

One immediately defended, _"I _never thought it was the ocean, that was Two." Unfortunately nobody paid much attention as Five interrupted, "That's a good idea! It was safe and Two enjoyed it there. Why don't we just go there?" One felt ignored so he announced in overriding everyone else, "Yes, we shall go. We have not had any trouble in that area. I will go tell Two." He stood from his throne when Eight asked, "What're we going to do about Shoestring?" One was dismissive, "You took him in, he's your responsibility."

Though he immediately decided that his interest was piqued, "Why are you asking me?" The Guard shrugged a little, "It's going to be hard to move him now that he's like this." One stared at the Guard and the large pointed over towards Six. Now that the slanted optics were locked on Six exclusively he noticed that beside him was stretched out a long body pillow that was almost the length of Six himself. When Eight called out a quick, "Hey!" The pillow moved, lifting its head and revealing a large, red optic. It was then that One realized that it was Shoestring.

"How did he-?! Never mind. I have more important things to worry about." One insisted, not wanting to deal with the Tailor beast that had spontaneously doubled its length. It didn't help when Child murmured, "It has the instincts to expand itself so it is growing at a normal pace." Instead the Leader just headed off towards the Workshop to find his mate. Two was still leaning over a workbench poking at a canister that he had built. One had to clear his voice box to get the shorter male's attention. "Oh! Hello!" Two abruptly greeted, jumping slightly.

"Here, come and see this, I have finally perfected this." One didn't want to encourage the obsession, but was a bit curious to see more about what the shorter male was working on. The canister was a rounded version of the gas bombs that the Machines had dropped and through a glass window on the top black fluid could be seen inside. "I see. It is?" One asked somewhat curiously, but really wanting to get to his own point. Two was more than eager to explain, "Now this looks like ink, but it's not true ink, it's been mixed with- Let me just explain what it does."

He lifted the canister, "When thrown, smashed, or jostled too much- be careful handling it-," He promptly followed by placing it into One's hand, "The friction inside causes a spark and a very miniscule explosion. However! The explosion triggers the black mist to appear in a brief cloud of darkness, temporarily obscuring the immediate area. I haven't yet perfected range or duration, but I have managed to get it functioning which is the first step." His smile was warm and proud, but One was torn on what exactly to say.

"Perhaps…" He started, "We should take an opportunity to test it outside of the Sanctuary." Two looked confused and One explained, "We have been speaking, the others and I, and I believe that it is time for us to return to the lake." This seemed to take the Inventor aback at the sudden suggestion, "Really? But Twenty-One and Twelve-…" One waved it off, "Will be fine. Twenty-One enjoyed his time in the water and he will again, and we need to start introducing Twelve to the world." It One believed anything he was saying then maybe it would have been more convincing.

"That would be smashing!" Two agreed with a wide smile, "and an excellent chance to get out and test the smokers as well! I'll start getting my things together and we can both work on the little ones' things later on." One slowly nodded in agreement, but was suddenly regretting this choice and was prepared to take it back. However, he didn't, and simply headed back towards the doorway until Two added in, "I wonder if I can get any work done while we're there…" One could only exhale and rub his head pitifully. This would be a long trip.

* * *

A few days later they braced themselves to leave and were finally prepared to do so. They carried their baggage down into the Library beneath the Sanctuary and did final preparations before heading out into the world and through the Emptiness towards the shore. This time they brought all Training Beasts and Shoestring, who was acting very strange. In followed between Eight and Six, sliding along the ground, pulling a leather hood that it suddenly seemed to create close to its head to block out the surroundings.

Nine was carrying Toto on his back with the new baby beast in his hand. Beside him was Five who was carrying Twenty-One on his back, the tiny Stitchpunk fast asleep after walking a bit too long for his tiny body. "What do you think about Pinprick?" He offered as he showed the small Beast to the one eyed male who smiled a bit, "It certainly suites him." He pointed out before reaching out to stroke over the small Beast's back. All he needed to use was a single finger and the small creature squeaked in delight.

"It's too on the point." Child remarked, wandering beside Nine with Pet on his back in a mimicking motion to Toto's. "He won't be that small for too long, remember." Nine casually shrugged, "But he'll sort of always be small to us." Toto leaned over to reach towards Pet who reached back, so Child slid in to put an arm around Nine's lower back. The two, now pressed together, were enough that the Beasts could cuddle affectionately. Five meanwhile glanced over to the twins who were admiring their knives once again, optics flickering in excited communication about using them.

Two was still fawning over his canister and now showing it to the new audience of Eight and Six. If One was less headstrong and the canister was a bit more sentient he would actually be willing to admit that he felt slightly jealous. Maybe Twelve noticed because as he looked down she stared upward with wide optics. While Twenty-One's sharp slants resembled One's, Twelve's tender optics, wide with innocence, resembled Two's completely, and One murmured, "Bunny, don't look at me like that." The infant's optics widened even more as she stared up at him and he felt a small tinge of a smile form.

He leaned down and pressed his lips to her forehead which finally elicited her own smile as she passively made a short babble noise. Holding her close, One pointedly ignored Two's affair for the time being, and instead continued to walk along with the others. The trip continued normally and soon led into the evening where they stopped and made camp for the night.

Child was down by a small stream washing his hands of oil that had spilled from the baby Beast during the trip. It hadn't been able to control itself and it was more of a bother than anything so Child didn't make a big deal about it. He was scrubbing at the metal of his hands when suddenly he could see Cat's reflection vaguely in the stream. He stared at the reflection and waited for a brief minute before dryly asking, "Cat got your tongue, Cat?" The Machine turned Stitchpunk smiled a little, but was looking somewhat distressed about something.

"Yeah, maybe, it depends." He stated somewhat coyly and somewhat hesitantly. Child, still crouched, let his hands drop onto his knees waiting for whether or not Cat was planning on answering. Cat stretched before scratching at his shoulder, uncomfortable in his fabric and fidgeting. "You know when you want something but the something you want wants nothing to do with you beyond practical relations?" There was a brief pause before Child remarked, "If it has the ability to 'want nothing from you' Cat, then that makes it a 'something'."

Cat insisted, "Like with you and Nine. You had something for him, but he had eyes for someone else, so when that 'someone else' wasn't there anymore he realized that he had you, or something like that." Child was slightly insulted; Cat made it sound like Nine only became his mate as a last resort. "What about when there's nobody else? She just doesn't see you as 'mate material'. What do you do then?" The pale male smirked a little. "You're asking me advice about Seven?" The other slowly started to pace a bit and it was clear that he was uncomfortable.

Coming to Child was a last resort and Child himself was the closest Stitchpunk to him to ask. "I'm not putting names down." He insisted and Child scoffed, "Considering the circumstances 'she' was enough of a title. Unless, of course, you're trying to tell me that you are interested in one of the twins." The other was unimpressed and was blunt, "Be honest with me; am I not mate material because I was a Beast, because I'm stuck with that." The pale Stitchpunk stood, drying his hands on his cloak and patting Cat quickly on the shoulder, "Keep in mind, Cat, that Seven is not nearly as forward as you are."

He then headed back toward the camp, slowing his gait to wait for his companion. The other male briefly paused to rub over his helmet briefly and tiredly, adjusting it briefly, then followed him back to camp silently. As per usual both would pretend that nothing had happened. Child sat down beside Nine who was looking like he was starting to nod off as he listened to Two go on about his new invention. Cat, meanwhile, laid down beside Seven who was standing guard, almost playfully resting a hand on her leg.

Almost playfully, but not quite.

* * *

"You sure we're at the right place?" Eight was the first one to speak out about it. Their journey had continued on and they had eventually arrived at the shore again, but this time they found themselves on higher ground, on a cliff that overlooked the vast body of water. "We might be down the shoreline a little…" Five excused as he glanced down at the map, "But not far. We can keep walking and get back to where we were." The Stitchpunks were tired from their trip though and Julius made a suggestion, "Let's just set camp here. The cliff may be safer."

"Unless someone falls off." Eight casually remarked to which One spoke in almost a defensive way, "None of us will just 'fall off'. If Twenty-One is intelligent enough to know not to go near the edge then you all are too." Indeed, Twenty-One seemed wary of the edge, clinging to his Papa's hand and looking at it with slight distain. "Alright then," Five rolled his map closed, "Then we can just walk down to the water." This seemed like a good enough idea and the Stitchpunks began to set up. This time there was the foresight to bring the supplies to make tents which would considerably help sleeping conditions.

Eight was helping One put up his. Or, more or less, Eight was putting up One's, and Seven gestured to it. "Of course he brings one that extravagantly big. He must not realize how many sticks he'll need to hold up the tent. Or his head." It was a taunting comment instead of one of ill will and Nine got a short laugh out of it as he and None tried to put up the twins. The twins watched them quietly as they struggled will balancing the fabric before coming forward to assist, and with the four of them it went slightly better.

Nine crouched down to peer in once they had it somewhat up because it was wobbling. "Hold on, I think the support is loose." He crawled in and glanced over the unfolding, wooden frame that had been made for the occasion. As expected, one of the bolts was starting to pop out. He started to twist it with his fingers to screw it back in. Meanwhile, outside the tent, None was finding himself a little uneasy. The twins were talking innocently and didn't seem to notice the way that the Tailor Beast Shoestring stared at him from across the way.

Something was strange about Shoestring. It had been a cute baby, but now that it was getting older, and slightly bigger it was starting to have odd behavior. It currently had its growing tail wrapped around Six's leg while Six watched as Seven, Cat, and Two addressed one of the other tents. He didn't even notice as it slowly unwound itself, single optic staring at None, not blinking or anything. The zippered male tried to look away, but the second he did it started to slither away from Six and towards him, slowly and methodically.

None didn't really react until Shoestring was nearly on top of him. Now it stood in front of him, raising itself slightly, and then randomly began to move its arms about while making a low mix of hissing and rattling. Finally None took a step backwards to get some space when his heel went into an unseen hole. He toppled backwards with a cry, arms spinning like a pinwheel, and crashed right into the tent and Nine. Nine suddenly had a heavy weight upon him, the cloth fell in, and the loosened bolt fell out, causing half of the frame to fall over and somehow land on Shoestring's tail.

The Tailor Beast let out a sharp shriek-like noise and slithered back to Six where it wrapped itself around his leg once again, the Artist crouching down on his knees to comfort him. Five hurried over to help Nine and None while they just watched as the two scrambled in the tangled tent. Five helped None to his feet before helping Nine get the tent open to climb out, the zippered male looking to his twin for explanation. "I… Umm… Went into a hole." None quietly excused, kicking a little dirt into said indention. Nine was patient, if not a bit amused, and looked to Five. "Help me with this?"

Together the two, and None who was beginning to assist, the three managed to get the tent propped up and ready to be used. After which they exited the tent and moved on to the next one. Five was soon dragged off by Three who was heading down the water and the zippered twins were alone briefly before the older spoke, "We can do the rest of these later with the others. If we miss our opportunity we won't be able to go down to the shore tonight." None seemed slightly more hesitant, but agreed, and they put down what they were doing and headed down towards the shore.

Part of the way down the slope Nine looked over before noticing that there was something rocky towards where the cliff met the water. It wasn't too interesting, but he pondered exploring it later on.

* * *

**Mable: The next chapter will be posted tomorrow! I hope everyone enjoyed!**


	33. Chapter 33: The Sandy Cave

**Mable: Here's chapter thirty-three, I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

* * *

_**Fabric Runs Shallow**_

_Chapter Thirty-Three: The Sandy Cave_

"Come on, it'll only be a second." Nine insisted to None and Five, sitting in the sand at the edge of the water and watching as they waded through the water, carrying the twins upon their shoulders. "After one of us falls over!" None insisted with a playful smile as he closed in on Three and Five with Four. The burlap one exhaled a bit impatiently; their game had been going on for a while already and he doubted that it would end any time soon. So instead he let his optics roll across the sand to look at the others.

One and Two were nearby playing with Twenty-One and Twelve. It was the female's first time in the sand and she was patting and fondling it in interest while Twenty-One built a sand castle before her, One and Two assisting to show the smaller how to do it. Now that Nine looked closer he wondered if Twelve's 'patting' of the sand was her attempt to build. Either way the family looked serene and happy. Nearby Julius was sitting with Eight and they were talking about something. Nine could see Shoestring curled between them with some of the Training Beasts around him.

Seven was laying on the sand some ways away drying herself after a swim while Cat was in the tree line sharpening his claws on some roots. Six, not with Eight, was actually wading into the water towards Child who was swimming around and had been for a while. Nine watched him for a few second and played with the idea of going for a swim with him before suddenly hearing a splash and looking back. It seemed that there was no winner to Five, None, and the twins' game as they managed to crash into one another and all toppled over into it.

Nine smiled at this; this meant that they would be able to go now. As agreed Five and None detached themselves from the twins and came over, the two females following along. Nine just assumed the more the merrier and made a head start towards the rocky part of the shore nearby, climbing over some of the larger ones. He didn't expect to find too much back there really, but surprisingly over the rocks there was a small area where water had washed the away, making a small tide pool. The twins went to wade through it and see if it collected anything.

It did, a few shells, and they lifted them out of the water to examine them. None headed over to look as well while Nine noticed something equally hidden, but equally exciting, "Look at that." He pointed out to Five who turned his head and looked to see a small, hidden opening in the Cliffside. The obscure cave caught Nine's interest and he climbed over with Five sluggishly following, a little hesitant. "Nine… If it's an old cave it might fall in… And if it's a burrow- I didn't even think of that." But Nine was determined, "We'll just look in for a second. No more than that."

With that Five was convinced to come along and the two slipped inside. Surprisingly after the entrance the cave opened slightly, as though it was cracking into the dirt above it. To any other Stitchpunk this wouldn't seem interesting, but Nine felt as though this cave was incredible, and he couldn't wait to see where it led. Outside eventually the others noticed that a few of their own were missing. Two was the first to investigate with One alongside. As the beach was so clear and no danger seemed nearby the carried their children to the mound of rocks.

Of course any possible worry was deflated when they saw None and the twins in the tide pool. Two announced their prescence with a quick, "Find anything?" They looked back at him, all three, and gave their own answers. Which meant that the twins nodded and None gave a small word of agreement. Currently the twins had found a closed, damaged shell that had seemed to be closed for a long time and were trying to pry it open with their knives. "Where are Nine and Five?" He asked next and None looked around, suddenly realizing the two were missing.

Then he saw the cave and he just knew where they were. "In the cave." Now One and Two looked over at said cave. As per usual, One looked with distrust and Two looked with interest. "Perhaps they found something. You all didn't hear any strange noises, did you?" Both twins shook their head and None again followed with a short answer of disagreement. "Well then, I am just going to have to go in and see for myself." He handed Twelve to One before looking to Twenty-One, "If you'd like you can play in the water here while I'm gone."

Twenty-One was skeptical, "But it's heavy." By that he was talking about the rather rough waves earlier that had felt heavy and knocked him over repeatedly while he tried to play in it. "Not here they aren't." Twenty-One was a little curious as he did want to play in the water, but One wasn't. "It's not safe." Two insisted, "Now One it only goes to his waist. As long as someone is watching him-." The Leader corrected, "The cave. More specifically, you going into the cave after them. It is already tragic enough that they are in there."

"I'll only be a minute. The last thing I want is to get stuck there with the tide coming in. I don't think I warned the others properly about it." With that he climbed over towards the cave and One called back across the sand, "Eight, come here!" With his annoyed tone Eight at first suspected that he was in trouble but by time he got over to the group he realized One's frustration was aimed elsewhere. "Eight, follow them in there and make sure they come out in a timely manner." Was his command and Eight loyally agreed to do so, heading into the cave and preparing to drag them all out.

A few minutes passed and now some of the other Stitchpunks had migrated over to the tide pool area. Seven had come over and was sitting on the edge of the rocky basin beside Cat, Six was wading outside the basin in the deeper water, and Child was still doing laps. As for Julius One looked back over to the previous area to see that he was asleep. The trip had taken a toll on him and he was exhausted so One let him sleep, only reminding Six, as he wasn't doing much, to go check on him in a few minutes.

The twins were now playing with Twenty-One and Twelve was adjusted in Seven's lap as the tiny Stitchpunk took her own miniature nap. "What is taking them? I must have sent Eight in ten minutes ago!" He had repeated this comment three times by now and with an exhale Seven spoke, "I'll go in. I don't know what's keeping them but I rather face whatever's in there than listen to One's concept of time." She stood and handed Twelve over to Six who immediately smiled down at her with a wide, warm grin, already beginning to coo at her with soft words before heading over the rocks to check on Julius.

"One takes over the role as Leader and Crier." Cat pointed out, loyally following her until they reached the cave, "You think there's going to be any water inside?" Seven rolled her optics a bit and Cat shrugged it off before climbing inside as well. Now they were gone, and One looked at the dwindling population with disdain. Almost all of them were now in the cave and not coming out anytime soon. At this time the twins noticed this fact and Four gestured to None that they were going to take their shell over onto the other beach and return.

This meant that they too were going inside, None knew it and was slightly weary as he remembered what Two said about something called the 'tide'. They took Twenty-One with them to leave by Julius and the others. Before they could even get back One beat them to it as his frustration wore thin. "None, take this back to camp." He insisted, stripping off his cape which he much preferred to go without than have get dirty. "One, I don't think this is a really good idea…" None murmured, but he went ignored.

"I am not prepared to stay in there any longer than I have to. This is foolish, it is just a cave, why would anything be interested in a cave?" Then he slipped inside, leaving None to sigh tiredly and head back towards the others to try and convince them not to go in as well. One didn't like the cave from the moment he stepped in. It was much too tight for his liking, in the beginning the roof was low enough to scrape his crown, and it smelled strongly of dirt and muck. It didn't help that two feet in he had to wade through thick, grass-like water plants, which survived in a large puddle of water in his path.

They looked too overgrown for the small valley of water and as One waded through them they tripped him up. This gave him more to mutter about as he continued deeper. It actually took quite a while before he was able to find the others, especially when he had mistaken a small crack in the cave as another path and followed in down some ways only to turn around and come back. That was actually when he came face to face with the twins who had headed into the cave sometimes after him, "And what are you two doing in here?" He asked firmly, like a disgruntled parent.

Four looked down at her feet in a bit of shame while Three tried and failed to explain. One cut her off even before he could fathom trying to understand her, "Never mind. It doesn't matter. You can come along with me, but as soon as we find the others we are turning around and heading back out." They nodded in agreement and he led them farther through the cave system. It was a short while later that they finally came across the others. They were in a slightly larger opening of the cave, but the back tapered into a much smaller tunnel and perhaps closed off.

They were all circled around a large mass of bones when One stormed in. "Just going for a second? Planning to return any moment?" One demanded of the group who looked back at him. Two cleared his voice box before pointing down at the body, "We were just looking to see if we could identify and harvest some of these bones." Indeed Eight was carving at some of the bones, but didn't seem to be making much progress. Either way, One wasn't very impressed, and insisted, "This cave could collapse at any second!"

"It's too sturdy for that." Nine insisted, "Look, let's just get some or this while we can and then we can leave." He instructed and the others seemed willing enough to agree. One tossed his hands upwards, "Fine then! Do whatever you all want, you won't listen to sensibility anyways!" He stood there for a few minutes contemplating what to do before sitting down to wait, not wanting to walk all the way back out alone as the others hurried. Between finding the old, unrecognizable creature and realizing its bones would be useful they had made out with quite a find.

* * *

None was starting to become uneasy. The others still had yet to return and it had been quite a while. Looking back at his father he could see him still fast asleep, Six sitting beside him coddling Twelve. He didn't want to disturb either of them and turned to Child. Child had been back and forth out of the water a few times and as evening took over he looked like he was preparing to go back out again. None's optics scanned down the beach seeking out anything, now changing his attention to the sandcastles. Oddly enough, though, he couldn't see them even though he was sure One and Two built one.

The water seemed like it was closing in and None looked around the beach only to slowly straighten. The water was now touching the Cliffside, covering most of the rocks, and None realized that the water was raising. "What?" He asked in confusion, standing quickly and looking over towards Child before sprinting towards him, green hood blowing back. "Child!" He called, not worried about waking the others as he hurried to the pale male's side. "Child, does water usually rise like this?" He demanded, gesturing to the rest of the beach around him.

"What do you mean?" Child asked in confusion, "The water is not rising." None insisted, "Yes, it is! The water has risen since earlier!" The pale male glanced around before murmuring, "I assume that it is just the tide rolling in, None, it isn't as though the water is rising quickly." None was in disbelief; Child must not have seen the cave because even from the little that None noticed he knew that there was something clearly wrong. The water had been rising the entire time they were inside.

* * *

Finally the Stitchpunks seemed finished. Eight had a bundle of bones tied and hoisted it onto his back. One outright doubted that he would fit through the cave system in this state and scoffed to himself about it. At least they were ready to go, he assumed, and he crossed over to Two's side, "Now that you have spent most of the day playing with a deceased animal, can we leave this death trap?" He was clearly moody and Two smiled to him before putting him on the shoulder, "Yes, yes. Don't be like that. We have to take any chance we can to find something useful."

One scoffed a bit, "Well don't expect my assistance in carrying that back to the Sanctuary." They led the way and started back through the cave as the others lingered behind. Nine had become interested in a seashell stuck in the wall and Five was trying to pry it out for the twins who were standing nearby, watching with excitement. The older males started through the tightened groove of the cave walls before One stopped at the break in the path. "That is a dead end. I wasted at least a minute of my life traversing down there."

Two blinked a bit, "Why on Earth would you think that we were down there? I doubt we could even fit through there." He pointed out playfully and One remarked, "Perhaps the rest of us, but I believe you would manage." The Inventor got a playful glint, "What are you implying?" Maybe One was feeling more relaxed because they were heading back out, but he took his own playful tone, "I am implying that perhaps you fall a little short on the natural size scale." The Inventor paused briefly brows raising as though he was surprised at the comment.

"I disagree." Two challenged back, raising himself to as full height as he could, which was still a good deal shorter than One, "I think that maybe you are just a bit too tall." He insisted with a warm smile before chuckling in a friendly fashion, "But perhaps we can still coexist?" The taller male got a bit of a smile, "I'm not certain. We will have to see." He reached out and brushed Two's shoulder, watching the small one tremble, "What?" He abruptly asked and Two smiled coyly, "Ah, One, you always bring this out of me." Only then did he notice One's gaze was past him.

He turned around and looked down into the cave only to see exactly what One was looking at, or who, "Twenty-One?" He asked in surprise as the toddler wandered around, looking to the two adults before looking surprised, then his face scrunching up like he was going to cry which was what he usually did when he was caught in the act. There was a piece of the wet plant wrapped around his legs and he stumbled a bit as he wandered over towards his parents. "What are you doing here? I thought you were back with Grappa." One pointed out, crouching down before his son.

"I come find Papa, Daddy. I got all wet." He explained, looking down at himself and Two crouched down as well, reaching out to grasp his son who was indeed soaked to the metal. "Oh, Twenty-One, it's dangerous here. You should have waited with your sister." He explained and One murmured, "Yes, _now _it's dangerous." It a satisfied way as Two pulled Twenty-One in, the small male hugging him, "I'm sorry." He apologized and Two smiled while One reached out to pet Twenty-One's back, "It's alright, Twone. Just don't follow us without telling us next time. You could have gotten tangled."

Two pulled Twenty-One onto his thigh while One pulled off the water weed and tossed it aside. Five passed by at this moment as they were doing so and smiled before disappearing a few feet ahead. There was quietness, and then Five suddenly came sprinting back, stopping before the two frantic. "It's- It's-!" He babbled out and One stood alert, "It better have not been a Beast you saw!" The Healer shook his head frantically as Seven now came in, "What is it?" She asked and Five cried out in horror, "The front of the cave- It's submerged! There's water everywhere!"

"What?!" Seven gasped and now Two was horrified, "The tide! The tide has come in!" For a sudden second everyone suddenly realized everything. Then they were horrified as they realized the truth.

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**Mable: The next chapter will be posted tomorrow! I'm working my hardest to get these chapters posted daily and I think I can do it. I hope everyone enjoyed!**


	34. Chapter 34: The Tight Situations

**Mable: Here is chapter thirty-four! I don't have much to say, again. I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

* * *

_**Fabric Runs Shallow**_

_Chapter Thirty-Four: The Tight Situations_

"Are we going to drown?" One wanted to absolutely kill Five for that pitiful question as the Stitchpunks stared at the tunnel that had filled with water. It was a bit too far to swim back out, especially with Twenty-One being held by Two. "Of course not! We just… We need a way out." One excused, beginning to feel slightly claustrophobic, and he grabbed ahold of Two's arm almost desperately. "Isn't there another tunnel we can try?" Cat offered to which Eight made a disagreeing grunt, "You mean that one right there. Only a fool would be stupid enough to go down that thing. It closes feet in."

Two was nearly amused and normally would love to see One's face as he was unintentionally titled by his Guard. However, it was too sudden of a situation to do that and instead Cat pressed on. "Back there past the bones, there's another cave." Nine perked in with a, "I saw it too." Surprisingly it was Seven who shot them down. "It's too tight. We all wouldn't fit through there, it would have to be dug out, and that would be what would cause the cave to collapse." She looked towards the water and stabbed her spear into the soft ground, "I'm going to dive in and see how far it is."

Three caught Seven's wrist and tried to stop her, but the Warrior was adamant, and shed her bird helmet before diving into the cold brink and soon disappearing from view. For a few minutes the others just waited, concerned, but eventually Seven appeared again, sputtering, "It's no good." She admitted in defeat, "We would barely make it as it is, but it's too difficult to get through the weeds. They rose when the water rose." Eight swore a bit too loudly and the others merely stared in distress before Cat insisted, "That cave is the only chance we've got left."

Finally Seven was willing to go along and grabbed her helmet and spear. "Alright, Cat, we'll go check the cave and we'll be back shortly." The others agreed to such, even if nobody wanted to wait behind, and she hurried off with Cat. Now the rest of them merely stood around simply and Nine remarked, "How high can the water raise? It can't… It wouldn't actually get high enough to drown us, will it?" Five sputtered out, "N-No, it can't get that high, we probably can't even drown!" One scoffed to himself; Five's current statement completely contradicting his last question.

"We just- umm- We just have a chance of getting too cold and wet and getting ill. Then we'll run a fever, which is no good, but breathing will be fine. It's not like we can drown when we don't exactly have processing lungs that- or maybe they do-…" He cut off when Three touched his arm, giving him a slightly amused and slightly worried look. Five calmed and rested a warm hand on her dainty one, "I'm sorry. I get a little carried away." He rubbed his shoulder meekly and the others tried to regain a lighter tone as well.

Unfortunately they were having a bit of a more difficult time, especially One and Two who now realized how close Twenty-One had come to it. "He must have been playing in the plants." Two explained as though he already knew what One was thinking. The Leader nodded slowly and leaned forward to press his lips to Twenty-One's forehead warmly as though to protect him and comfort him from the world. Naturally Twenty-One's innocent fears were pacified, but not his parents'.

* * *

Six knew something was wrong when None came sprinting up the beach looking terrified. Child followed from behind, but looked fine if not slightly confused and asking about some sort of cave. Then None was standing before him where he blurted out, "The water's rising and they're still in the cave!" It was a rushed mess of syllables for a frantic mind, so naturally Six understood it immediately and jolted upwards, "They're stuck in the cave?! They can't swim out?!" None was insistent, "If they could they would've already!"

"Alright, let's not lose our heads, Creator knows we are the first three to do so." Child abruptly interrupted, "The cave might have another entrance up out of the sand. If it was Beast created there would be two entrances." This caught None's interest, "So that the tide wouldn't block it in too. Good idea! But that would mean it might be on the side of the far cliff. We're going to have to cover a lot of ground. He began to sprint towards the hill and Child called Toto and Pet to help the search. Though Pet looked to be little help as he was carrying the newborn training beast.

Six, trying not to wake Julius, tucked Twelve into his arms and called Shoestring over. "Keep them safe." He whispered, coaxing the Tailor to lay down beside his father, and it did, releasing a contented hissing noise. Then he followed the others up the slope and to the back of the cliff. He didn't suspect any kind of Beast so he didn't bring his pocket watch with him and instead merely dashed after them. None was frantically searching about, muttering to himself about the angle of caves, while Pet and Toto scurried around trying to detect them, most likely more able to focus on Nine.

By time Six joined them he noticed that the water had risen some and was becoming concerned. Seven could swim, Nine could swim, One and Two could float well enough, but Eight would sink like a stone. Eight had been adamant about not learning and now it could come back to haunt him. Even worse, Six suddenly realized another fact, "Twenty-One's with them too." He voiced and None spun to face him, "What?!" Six nodded, "He's not at camp and I didn't see anyone move him. I think he's in the cave. I know he's in the cave."

"This is…" None started, but didn't finish. Perhaps None had detected the fact that the idea was bad before Nine did, but he wasn't like Nine in the sense that he couldn't take pressure. Child, meanwhile, became distracted when he noticed that Pet and Toto were circling around a single area staring at something on the ground. Perplexed he wandered over to them, "What is it? What did you find?" They looked up towards him before frantically scratching at a small hole obscured by grass. Pulling it away Child could see that the hole opened into a small, dirt filled cape.

Then, at the bottom, Child saw a small glimpse of red and looked at Pet only to realize that he was missing something. "You dropped your baby?!" Child wasn't one to feel disbelief, but this was the last mistake that he would have ever expected. Toto and Pet were frantic, though, as they tried to dig through the hole and get to the small creature that was now starting to cry out for them. "None, Six, I need help." Child called back before beginning to widen the hole as well, only pausing briefly when he saw a pair of claws in the beam of light, lowering down towards the small Beast.

* * *

The cave was much more cramped than Cat or Seven anticipated, but neither were willing to back down. Cat especially was somehow managing to contort his slightly large body through the narrow ways. It seemed to keep leading on though and they continued until eventually Seven let of a soft gasp of alarm as some sort of roof seemed to get caught in the stitches on her back. She hissed in distress and Cat circled around her, glad it was a slightly more open and that he was able to get behind her to untangle her.

"That root just wanted to grab you, didn't it?" Cat playfully quipped and Seven sighed a little bit, "It did. It seems anything that's willing to sting is willing to grab." He purred lightly and caressed over the stitches, "There, all better." The Warrior smiled a little and thanked him before looking down at the cave with a sigh. "Well, we're not getting anywhere quick. What are the chances of the water receding again?" She questioned and he shrugged a bit before stretching, "Worst case scenario, we all die a terrible death."

"Very optimistic there, Cat." Seven retorted with a slightly playful smile. Though she was still obviously concerned about the situation. The male put an arm around her and nuzzled into her neck affectionately, "It'll be okay, Dove. I'm taking back my last statement; I am pretty sure we aren't going to die down here." The pale female wasn't convinced and beckoned the other to follow as they continued along. "I shouldn't have even come down here." Cat murmured and Seven pointed out, "You didn't have to. You aren't fond of the water or of tight spots."

Cat raised a claw in correction, "Actually, I have no ill will towards narrow corridors. Corridors filling with water not so much." Again she pointed out, "But you came down because you were curious." He shrugged a little in disagreement and Seven asked with her own curiosity, "Then why did you come down here? Let me guess; just because?" It was a playful and he rested a hand on her shoulder with his simple answer of, "Just because I love you."

Seven straightened, her body jolting in surprise, and she looked over towards Cat. He was just smiling his usual smile and her heart started to pound. There returned that uncomfortable feeling, that feeling like she was awkward and confused, and she tried to pass it off. "Don't say something like that. That's not something to be taken lightly." She excused and he started to slow, slowly moving forward as though attempting to stop her from taking off, which she was very prepared to do at this moment. "But I mean it, Dove. I love you."

"Cat, please." Seven nearly begged, "You don't understand-." Suddenly he was blocking her route and Seven stopped silently, her pride not permitting her to back down. There was a moment when they just locked optics, not speaking, Cat's smile briefly dropping to a look of questionable emotion. She felt her breathing begin to falter; this wasn't the one she planned to train, as much as she pretended he was still her pet companion he wasn't. He was not only another Stitchpunk, but a male, a healthy and attractive male. Though she recognized it more as he slowly pushed his helmet back.

He gave a small and sincere smile as his hand came forward. His claws played with one of the hanging bone charms briefly and he glanced to her optics as though he was pondering something. Seven somewhat hoped that he wasn't bold enough to do anything even though she knew he was. Maybe there was a small part of her that wanted him to do something as well, but it was partially obscured by the confusion that came from being so unsure of what she was getting herself into. Whether she liked it or not, she knew there was no going back.

The male leaned forward and pressed his mouth to her own out of nowhere. Seven let out yet another gasp of surprise and tried to resist the overwhelming feeling that this was exactly what she wanted. It felt wonderful and while she was so conflicted she couldn't help but reach upwards and grasp his helmet, keeping him in place. He began to purr again and she could feel the resonating through her lips. It made them tingle in delight and suddenly she realized she was having a bit of a difficult time keeping her posture straight, her legs felt a little limp.

Seven had kissed before now. Though it had been more of a practice kiss than anything and she doubted that the other party even remembered it anymore. Yet it never felt like this. It was supposed to be wrong but it never felt so wonderful to rebel against what she was trapped into. Cat instigated it and she kept it going. When they did eventually pull back she realized that she had dropped her spear sometime into the kiss and now had both hands cupping Cat's face, holding him close. His hands had moved to reach behind her and caress her back.

She could only stare at him and he stared back, letting his smile return, and Seven found her own appearing. Then Cat suddenly looked to the side, "What is that?" He asked and Seven blinked before listening closer and soon realized that she could hear a squeaking noise. They pulled away from each other and Seven grabbed her spear as Cat inched ahead. He peered protectively through the cave. After all, he had just achieved new ground with Seven, it was right around time for something to come in and ruin it.

Yet as he turned a surprisingly sharp corner that opened into a surprisingly lighter area he saw the source of the noise. Nearby under a faded beam of light he could see a small, black speck with a red optic and knew it was the infantile Training Beast. It was confusing to him what it was doing down in the dark and he crept over before kneeling down and reaching out to take the babe in his hands. It was thick with mud, but it seemed like the mud may have protected it from a painful fall so it was clearly a mixed blessing.

He felt a rock suddenly hit his helmet having dropped from above and looked upwards only to come face to face with Child. He stared in alarm for a few seconds before Child casually remarked, "Please tell me you didn't fall in as well." Cat sent him a smile, "You're not going to believe how glad I am to see you. The others are stuck down the way and need to be dug out." He showed the baby, "Consider him ransom." Child answered flatly, "Well damn, I guess I have no choice now but to assist you." He looked back towards None and Six who were hurrying over, "I found a way in."

Now Seven made it and Cat gestured through the hole in explanation. Instant relief filled Seven and she turned before heading back, "I'll tell the others! Maybe we can fit a few of the others through without digging." Cat started to climb actually out of the hole, contorting himself through while None, Child, and Six now attempted to widen the hole a bit. Seven didn't really think about the previous events at the moment. It wasn't the adequate time or place to do so, but she knew that it left some effect on her because she felt rather giddy and didn't think it was only from the new way out.

She arrived back to the others quickly and informed them, "Down through the narrow cave is an opening where we can see the others. Climbing out is the easy part, but it's going to get pretty narrow." The Stitchpunks were too eager for freedom to even consider the possibility of waiting and hurried after her. As expected, she slipped right through, One following behind her as to lead, Five following behind him at is insistence as he was proud that the male had straightened his head. Two and Twenty-One followed.

Unfortunately it was decided that Eight was going to slip through next. Eight wasn't exactly portly and that wasn't what made the tunnel seem so tight. Eight was just all around bigger, muscle and weapons mostly, and even his height was pressing as he tried to make it through the tightest point. The other parts of the cave walls seemed to give well enough, but here part of the wall was more rock than anything, and as he tried to get past the same roots that caught Seven the walls seemed to shift around him.

Seven had already began to more ahead, leading One and Two, so Eight was stuck with Five pulling from the front, Nine pushing from the back, and the twins digging at the walls. Unfortunately the rock suddenly decided to shift and Eight was freed, but it didn't help any of the others. He fell through and fell practically on top of Five while the cave collapsed some. Dirt fell in, blocking the way almost completely, and if it wasn't for the rock tilting sideways and blocking a small area they would have been completely closed in.

Five climbed out from under the stunned Eight and hurried to the open hole, "Three?!" He called through in concerned, "Nine?! Four?!" As the twins didn't exactly have the ability to call back, Nine did, "We're okay! The way got a little tighter, but we might still be able to still get through." Three crouched down and slowly tried to slide through the small hole, Five reaching through and helping her move through the wall. Thankfully she was able to slip through and soon Four followed suite. Though when it got to Nine things got relatively difficult.

Nine was bigger than the twins and his zipper pull accidently got caught on a root. Eight had already hurried off and the twins were watching from nearby as Five tried to help, though Nine dismissed him. "I, umm… I can get this. Make sure the twins get out." More so, he knew he was probably going to unzip while he slid out and didn't want anyone else to see it. The Healer understood, "Alright, if you're sure." Nine waited to struggle until he was gone and then attempted to slide. However, he was quite trapped.

At this angle his zipper didn't want to unzip and without its give he was somewhat trapped in the confined space, his legs kicking on the other side as he attempted to scoot forward. That was when he heard a voice clearing and looked upwards. There was Child who had wandered up at some point and was just staring down at him, an amused smile on his lips, and Nine felt heat rush to his cheeks as a light green blush settled on them, "To answer your questions; no, it's not my hips, and no, it's not funny."

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**Mable: Thankfully I got this chapter done last night and I think I can get tomorrow's chapter done by tomorrow night. Worst case scenario; I have to push tomorrow's chapter for the day after, but I don't think that'll happen under the current circumstances. I have to brace myself for the worst, though. Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed!**


	35. Chapter 35: The Fireside Camp

**Mable: I just remembered that I've been forgetting to write the recap!  
Here it is: In the last few chapters the Stitchpunks went to the shore once again. Here the Stitchpunks got trapped by the tide in a cave. Seven and Cat shared a tender moment, their first kiss, and the Stitchpunks found a way out.  
Now that that's done, I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

* * *

_**Fabric Runs Shallow**_

_Chapter Thirty-Five: The Fireside Camp_

Julius awoke from his long and restful slumber with a fussy and attention seeking infant in his grasp. He immediately smiled down at her, "Hello there, Little Twelve, baby Bunny." He coddled, using her parents' name for her in an affectionate manner. The baby seemed to relax once she knew he was awake and smiled up at him, pulling her arms out of her blanket and reaching for his smiling face. He coddled her before also petting Shoestring who had, at some point, moved to sleep wrapped around his neck.

"Hello to you too, Shoestring." He playfully added and petted the Tailor who let out a pleased rattling noise in response. "Now where are your parents? Both of yours?" It was a playful comment, but he was a little confused when he noticed that all of the other Stitchpunks were missing from the immediate area. He stood, holding the two beings in his grasp and starting back towards camp. Thankfully on the way there he began to hear some movement and once at the camp he could look over nearby and see his children and such.

They were standing around some sort of opening and pulling Five out of it. "Did someone fall in?" He called over curiously and the Stitchpunks all looked at him. They looked strange, maybe tired, and Two called back, "Oh no, we're fine!" The Inventor smiled with clear relief before One rested a hand on his back and murmured something to him. Two smiled to him and then headed over to the camp. More or less, Julius guessed that One suggested he came back to camp, and he carried Twenty-One over.

The small boy was asleep against his shoulder and Julius smiled at it. Using a spare hand he opened the tent of One and Two, so that the Inventor could crawl in and put Twenty-One down for a nap. Two took a bit longer than usual tucking him in and petting his head affectionately. It had been a bit of a scare today and Two knew when Twenty-One woke he would have to explain to him that there were some places that Stitchpups weren't supposed to go. It sounded wrong in context, but Two wanted to keep him safe.

The others slowly returned to the camp. Nine was lagging in the back looking embarrassed about something, though stopped outside of camp at Child's insistence. "It will be a quick fix, Nine, I don't know why you won't just let me do it." The zippered male huffed a bit, "Because you're part of the reason it happened anyway. You made me rush." Julius didn't like to listen in on conversations but when Two appeared and took Twelve to coddle he realized that he was in the position to help. Especially when he caught what the trouble was.

Nine continued to gesture towards his zipper that was halfway down and Child eventually reached out to touch the pull. The second he did Nine winced as though in pain, hissing slightly, and it followed with Child instead petting it before trying to fidget with it. Honestly, as much as Child hated it, he couldn't fix it because he was too afraid of hurting Nine. Thankfully Julius stepped forward to the scene silently. Nine was questioning, but Julius brushed Child's hands away gently and began to fidget with the zipper pull.

"It's almost completely off track." He pointed out with a tone of reminding concern and Nine gave an embarrassed smile, "I was stuck and pulled a little too hard." Julius gave him a small smile before managing to pop it back into place. With that Julius zipped it back up to his neck and gave him a pat on the shoulder. Child wandered behind his parent and murmured, "Are you feeling alright." The Scientist quipped out, "He'll be fine. It may be sore for a while." Child corrected, "I meant you, Father, you slept for quite a while…"

He rested a hand on his parents' back and leaned in before speaking in a lower tone as though not wanting the others to hear, "Was it from travelling for so long?" Julius smiled at his concern and quietly responded, "Most likely, yes it was. I'm not as young as I used to be, but I'll pull through." This was reassuring enough. Nine watched the scene with his own smile before noticing None walking by and patting him on the back. None looked to him and sent him a smile; relieved that he had his twin back.

"Anything interesting happen while we were gone?" Nine asked and None shrugged a bit, "Not much. Six was-…" His optics passed Nine and suddenly landed on the Tailor Beast. None hadn't seen when Shoestring was lowered down from Julius' shoulders but saw the Tailor Beast standing still with that same gaze as before. Thankfully it wasn't aimed at himself. "He was watching Twelve and Father was sleeping…" He trailed off as he noticed Shoestring start to slither across the ground towards its prey. This time it looked to be Eight.

"None?" Nine asked in confusion and None gestured over to the Tailor Beast. Eight was watching Six and Five start a fire together. They had carried wood over and now Six was sitting on his knees watching while Five crouched and stacked the wood, eventually offering for Six to assist, and soon starting to make a quaint fire. Shoestring came beside Eight who was sitting there relaxing and raised itself high, moving its arms around and releasing the odd noises towards the larger male. None flinched back a little and grabbed at Nine's side full of dread.

However, as Eight notice the twitching he didn't look frightened or confused in the slightest, and instead reached out and put his hand upon the Tailor Beast's head and shook over it. Shoestring let out a pleased noise as Eight basically wrestled him to the ground and it rolled around his arm affectionately. Its arms wrapped at his hand and arm, and its tail twitched with a soft rattling noise. Nine smiled a bit and released a soft chuckle, not seeing anything odd about it. Though None was still a little unease as Eight played with Shoestring.

Child, apparently finished with Julius, now leaned forward and put a hand on Nine's shoulder to gently pull him back. Just as he had with his father he whispered into his audio receptor. This time, instead of worry, he somewhat playfully suggested, "Nighttime dip, Poppet?" The thought piqued Nine's interest, especially since it just occurred to him that he could swim perfectly well and he smiled. "Meet me down at the shore."

Meanwhile, Seven was finally starting to think about what happened earlier, and was beginning to drift off into her own thoughts as she sat alone between her tent and the one that Eight and Six were going to share. Around this time the twins had appeared seeing if they were going to train even though they were at the shore. They were somewhat confused when it took her more than a few seconds to notice them. They knew that she was distracted and gave her a curious look to which she excused with, "What do you need?" In a simple fashion she acted as though nothing had happened.

They looked questioningly at her and even though they weren't prying she felt like she needed to speak with someone. "You both wanted me to treat you more like adults and I could use some advice." The seemed to perk at the mention, though they didn't expect it. Four remarked to Three that even in the grimmest of time that Seven didn't usually voice her troubles. Three agreed and added in that it probably concerned Cat. Seven went to explain, "Today… Today when Cat and I were alone something happened and I've become aware that he is… Interested in me."

Of course Seven wasn't going to point out her false denial that had stemmed in an attempt to keep things between Cat and her at a merely 'friendly' point and nowhere else. The twins got smiles on their faces with questionable looks. Seven added in with, "He displayed his affection in a very… very warm and sweet gesture… But now I am concerned about what I am going to say to him. Us becoming mates… It just isn't…" She didn't know how to get it out and Three's face dropped sadly, optics flickering as she wondered why Seven wouldn't be with Cat.

"Cat and I… Are two very different Stitchpunks." Seven explained, "If Cat even counts as a Stitchpunk. We won't make good mates for one another and my better judgment is telling me that I have to tell Cat. I'm just not sure how to approach him." Four sort of shrugged a little sadly as though she was disappointed while Three vigorously shook her head in disagreement. She came forward and made pleading gestures, trying to persist and insist that Seven didn't do this, but the Warrior was adamant.

"I shouldn't have put this on you two, but I needed someone to talk to, and Creator knows I want to wait as long as I can to tell Cat this. I can't begin to fathom how he'll react." Though what she didn't know was that he was already reacting. On the other side of the tent Cat was sitting on the ground, leaning against one of the frame legs and listening in, and he clearly wasn't content with what he was hearing. Known for his trademark smile, this was probably the longest he had gone without one, tuning in with his Machine-like audio receptors that detected every single word.

"We're too different, Cat and I." Seven explained to the twins who were now sitting in front of her. While Three still looked upset Four had switched into a reassuring role instead, either way both were suitable to speak to. "Five and you are practically perfect, you enjoy a lot of the same things." She said to Three before turning to Four, "None and you make each other happy and find enjoyment together… But Cat and I, while we are similar are many levels… I just don't think it will survive. I don't want to put myself into a situation like that."

What was lacing her voice was fear, but all Cat heard was her doubt in him and not herself. She thought he wasn't a suitable mate. She thought that he couldn't help her, or support their family, and it ate at him. He wasn't an insecure person in the slightest, but when it involved things that were not accepted and couldn't be changed then it would bother him. He thought he had proved his loyalty, his favor; he had given away immense power and finer reflexes to become a confused cross between doll and beast just to please her.

He didn't want to hear anymore so he found himself wandering out of camp, sulking, going to stand at the cliff and stare at the vast water. Maybe it was somewhat better being a Stitchpunk. He had a finer range of emotions and thoughts of self-worth in this form. Even as a defect he couldn't look in a mirror and properly identify himself as anymore that a defective body programmed to do something or go somewhere. Now he was an actual being with a name, with thoughts, with feelings, and yet he was still not perfect.

Maybe she knew about his other problems. He thought she might have noticed his trouble with reading the last time he did so. It wasn't that he couldn't read, it was that the words seemed scrambled. Sometimes two letters would be randomly switched and maybe she thought he was illiterate. That would be a negative trait for a mate definitely. Confused and unsure where to go from here, Cat stared down upon the shore where Nine and Child now were. They ran down the sand to the water where Child cast his hood away and Nine sunk his Lightstaff in the sand to illuminate the area.

They dove into the dark water and nearly became specs in the darkness as they began to paddle out together. Perhaps that was it; he always had a distance with water and Seven had asked him numerous times to swim with her. It wasn't entirely his fault; many Beasts were programed with a fear or hesitance towards water as a way to keep them from getting actually wet. He saw what happened to a rusted Cat Beast; it never ended in the Cat Beast's favor and eventually they would just seem to fade away.

That was the last of his problems and he climbed down around the somewhat steep side of the cliff to get to the water. Nine and Child were now somewhat playing with each other. Nine splashed Child, Child ducked under the water and tugged at Nine's ankle, Nine retorted by doing some sort of awkward barrel roll; they were having a good time. Cat considered their relationship; if anything, they were considerably opposites. Not to mention Eight and Six being 'too different'. One and Two would be the most different and yet they were arguably the most successful.

Suddenly he perked at a thought. "_What's the chance of me looking at this all wrong? She's hesitant about me being a mate; this might be something I can still fix. Sure Child proved himself to Nine to get over all that past bad blood; all I need to do is prove that I am fine doing the same. That I can be just as reliable." _Suddenly he perked at this, watching Nine and Child as they shared a more tender moment. They put their arms around each other, now standing in shallow water so that their heads would stay above it somewhat, and leaned in to share a brief kiss.

Cat wanted more of that with Seven. He had tasted the sweet flavor of her lips and wanted more, so what he needed to do was prove that he could give her something as a mate. At this he turned away from the scene of Nine and Child and started to head across the sand towards the tree line, able to see easily in the dark and hurrying along. Meanwhile, Nine and Child got lost in their kissing for a short while before pulling apart and beginning to swim for a little longer. When Child started heading back to shore, Nine stopped him, reaching out to put his hands on his shoulders from behind.

"A little longer? I don't think the others will care." He insisted and Child sighed a bit, "A few more minutes, but something brushed my leg, and the last thing I want is to realize that Stitchpunk eating sea life exists." Nine felt a playful streak and insisted, "I didn't feel anything. It must have been my foot or something." Child raised a brow, "You didn't feel anything but it was your foot?" The zippered male ignored the comment entirely and instead suddenly seemed to perk a bit, "Wait… Actually I think I felt something too."

He was a horrible liar no doubt, but Child's optics still widened like he believed him and Nine made his face go serious. "I'm going to look under the water…" He said cryptically and he took a breath before dipping his head under. Then he crept in, preparing to reach out for Child's leg to give it a tug as the albino had done to him numerous times. It seemed only fitting and he reached out, grabbing his ankle, only to suddenly noticing a dark shadow in the water nearby. It took a second for him to recognize that the shape was something swimming.

In reality it was only about the length of his knee to his ankle, but the water somehow made it look much larger. His optics widened and he gasped. Unfortunately he took in nothing but water and felt his body sputter and choke as he busted out of the water. He couldn't breathe or speaking and merely began to cough and wheeze. Child looked appalled and grabbed Nine before swimming towards the shore, "Creator, get out of the water!" Once they got onto the sand Nine fell to his knees and continued to cough out the water as Child struck his back to help.

"I saw it!" Nine got out around the choking, now collapsing onto his backside, "When I was under the water I saw it. I grabbed your leg and right then it swam by." Child got an annoyed look when Nine confessed his prank, but was immediately concerned when Nine continued. "It looked, I don't know, maybe as big as one of the twins. I couldn't tell. It had a long body without limbs." Now the albino looked out towards the water, "So it was a type of fish. I assumed so giving the conditions… I have an idea of what kind… But it is far-fetched to think it would be here and have evolved to this size…"

"What?" Nine asked, just as dead serious as Child was being, "What kind of fish was it?" Though he didn't really even know much about fish the male had a basic idea. Child looed to him seriously and murmured, "I believe that… it was a shark." The zippered male didn't understand, but the dramatic tone made him alarm. "Should we warn the others?" Child shrugged as he looked back at the water. "I swam all day and yet I didn't see even one. They must have become nocturnal. Perhaps we just pushed our luck."

Another peal of coughing echoed from Nine who still felt irritated and Child patted his back further as they sat on the sand, staring out at the water as though the 'shark' was going to follow them out. Finally Nine stood with Child by his side, "Let's get back to camp. I think I lost the mood to swim." This eased the tension some, Child smiling a little and triggering Nine to smile back in a lopsided fashion. They both headed up the beach again towards the camp, though were walking a bit faster than when they were heading down towards it surprisingly.

Back at camp Seven had been waiting for Nine and Child to appear as she had been imagining that Cat was with them. When they wandered into the camp just the two of them she outright approached. A few of the others had already retreated to bed and so the camp was rather quiet. "Hey." She greeted quickly and paused before asking, "What happened to your Lightstaff?" Nine immediately looked to Child in horror, "We left our stuff back there." A few minutes passed and the two stared at each other before Child caved, "I'll go get it. I need to get my cape as well."

He headed off and Seven insisted, "Did you see Cat?" Nine shook his head simply, "Cat? No. I haven't seen him for a while, why?" The female paused before shaking her head, "No reason in particular. I just need to talk to him, but it can wait until he gets back." The zippered male smiled reassuringly, "He probably just wandered off. He'll be back soon." Seven knew this was probably true, but was feeling a bit discouraged about him being missing when she had to speak so urgently.

She was so confused about these feelings. It had seemed so clear when talking to the twins that she needed to tell Cat that they wouldn't work, but as she was waiting and thinking about it she was starting to become uncertain. She needed to see him, her future depended on it.

* * *

**Mable: Perhaps Seven's mind isn't as made up as she thinks it is? We shall all see soon! I'm going to try to get tomorrow's chapter posted tomorrow, but I literally just finished this chapter so I'm unsure if I will make it again. I can always try! I hope everyone enjoyed!**


	36. Chapter 36: The Reckless Proof

**Mable: This update took WAY too long to get posted, but I'll have a note at the end of the chapter explaining why this is.  
Recap: In the last chapter Cat decided to head out and hunt a Beast to prove to Seven, who he heard speaking to the twins about them being incompatible, that he can be a good mate.  
Anyway, I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

* * *

_**Fabric Runs Shallow**_

_Chapter Thirty-Six: The Reckless Proof_

Something was freeing about the tall trees surrounding Cat as he crept through the woods. He was close to the ground, keeping himself quiet and careful as he listened for any movement. All he needed was to find a Beast and take it down. Then he would bring back the remains to present to Seven; it seemed simple and fool proof. Cat could see no reason why she wouldn't be happy with such and offering that she would reconsider him as a mate. The wind rustles the leaves above and Cat pressed against the dirt as he waited for it to grow quiet again.

It didn't take long before it did, and when this came he began to hurry along. It didn't take too long, but eventually he made progress as he slipped out of the forest and onto a paved road. He went the opposite of the way back to Luxembourg and continued along. It didn't take too long before he found a small group of buildings like a rundown town. There was only building that looked fully intact and Cat could feel that there was something in it. He made it over to an opening in the side and peered inside.

It wasn't too long until he found that there were, in fact, Beasts inside. It wasn't necessarily a nest, but there were a few inside. They were spaced together along the floor with red optics and cloth covered bodies. While Cat didn't recognize them they were Beasts that had been encountered before. These were Mosquito Beasts and they apparently heard Cat entering. Their optics all turned and locked onto the Beast turned Stitchpunk. They didn't turn aggressive and merely watched him in a passive fashion.

Beasts tended to register Cat as one of their own even though he was no longer one of them. As such, they barely reacted to him, and he knew he would need to provoke them. This didn't seem too hard and he approached the biggest towards the back. Nearly the size of a Chancellor, which made sense as from what Cat knew these Mosquito Beasts were a relative of the elusive Chancellor. The biggest stared at him silently and as he approached he simulated a growl to show he was preparing to be aggressive.

It didn't even seem concerned and Cat lowered onto all fours, his right optic flickering to a red color as he growled louder. Still the Mosquito Beast didn't react much and the being crept in. Then, suddenly, all at once the Mosquito Beasts' wings all alit. The group took into the air and Cat was prepared for a fight. To his disturbance they ignored him and started to raise towards a hole in the roof to flee and move on. He would have been even more upset, but before he could a loud crackle of a roar echoed through the night.

It came from the street and Cat headed back to the opening and stared out into the night. The Mosquito Beasts must have heard the Canine Beast and left. As much as Cat knew a Canine Beast would be a bit difficult to fight, he could only find it ironic that they were the two creatures remaining, and he knew that if he took something like this down that Seven would have to be impressed. Though he noticed something odd about the Beast. Its optics were black and dead while it stumbled around aggressively. "It's blind." He noted to himself, "and clearly not happy about it."

He knew better than to get cocky, though. Canine Beasts had a notorious surge of aggression and were not exactly intelligent, so they would continue to attack without concerning over their health. It was both the most risky and the best target, and Cat was prepared to take full advantage of the situation. He glanced around quickly before focusing on a tipped over truck as his main target. He braced himself before letting out a low growl. The Canine Beast heard him and tensed, smelling the air as it attempted to focus in on him. He took this time to turn and begin sprinting towards the car.

Unfortunately the Canine now heard him as plainly as day and was taking after him, letting out a noise that partially resembled a roar and partially a metallic groan. Then it took off after him and he only barely managed to skid under the car where it couldn't reach. The Canine Beast was furious at losing its target and began to dig under the car with rapid paws, releasing rabid growls and snorts. Cat made his way to the other side of the car before climbing between the car and the wall. Once atop the car he sprinted over to the opposite side again.

Now he stared down at the Beast down below and felt of rush of thrill as a purr filled his chest. He adjusted his helmet, flared both sets of claws out, and jumped down to land on the Canine Beast's back. It jumped at his attack and started to thrash. Cat hung on and went for the back of its neck. He attempted to tear inside, trying to pull the Beast apart at the neck to affect its motor skills and hopefully take it down. The second that he got his claws into what felt like a cord the Canine Beast suddenly introduced a new skill.

Out of nowhere it abruptly rolled itself over in a surprisingly intelligent move. Suddenly he was crushed under the being's weight for a brief second. It straightened itself and Cat got to his face quickly. At this time the Canine Beast leapt forward at Cat who rolled to the side and out of the way just in time. Its claws struck the ground right beside him and he leapt for one, digging his claws into the crevices and climbing upwards towards the neck area. He only managed to grab into this for a second before the Canine Beast began to fling its head around rapidly where it knocked Cat off and onto the ground.

It dove again, this time bringing its sharp teeth down onto Cat's and onto a rock beside him. Because the rock was slightly larger the mouth didn't have the ability to close fully and so it only left simple puncture wounds instead of gaping holes. He also heard a loud crack, but he knew it wasn't from himself so he guessed it was from the rock. Yet once he was dropped and laid there simply, needing to catch his breath, he realized that the Canine Beast had broken a tooth off.

It was one of the smaller bottom ones, but the Beast seemed disturbed by it and was moving its head strangely as though still trying to shake something off. Cat began trying to creep away on all fours and was quiet enough to almost do so, but once he had crawled a distance about the length of the car the Canine caught on and began to listen in. This time Cat decided to be quiet. The Canine Beast's smell may have been its best sense, but it needed a moment to focus and follow it, so if he stayed quiet he would get a bit more time before it found him.

Just as expected it worked and while Canine started to follow Cat's trail, quickening its pace, Cat was given extra time to get before the opening into the building where the Mosquito Beasts had been located. Then he got to his feet and dashed inside the opening, the Canine Beast following behind as it broke into a run. He dashed through the large room, ducking behind a fallen plank of wood that the Canine Beast simply ran straight into. It made a cracking noise and broke, triggering a chain reaction that dropped some rubble from the roof above to crash atop the Canine Beast.

Cat shielded himself before looking upwards and suddenly realizing that there was a second floor to the building. It was probably barely remaining, but there was a chance that there was something up there. Quickly he searched around before finding a set of stairs peeking out from behind a wall on the other side of the room. He sprinted over, listening as the Canine Beast tore its way out of the rubble behind him. The stairs were taken as though they were just another road to run down and as he scrambled up them the Canine Beast followed.

Its teeth nearly grazed Cat's leg more than once and he only escaped by getting to the second floor. His optics rushed around before focusing on the fallen wall on the other side of the building. Wood jutted out of the side of it, pointing towards the next building over, and while it was a risky move he suddenly wondered if he could jump to the other building. As a Cat Beast he had been able to leap bounds easily, but now he was somewhat challenged. Still he was certain this was his only chance and hurried over. The Canine Beast hurried behind him.

Cat headed across the fallen wood and stared at the other side. Thankfully there was a window ledge that was close in. He dove off and barely managed to get to the other side. His claws dug in as he began to slide down off of the windowsill. As he started to slip down he could hear the Canine Beast running out. Unfortunately or it the wooden plank didn't hold as well and broke in. Its paw gave one last swing, nearly an inch from Cat's body and grating down the wood before the metal and bone creature fell down into the space between the buildings.

Cat took a second to pull himself up onto the window before looking down to see if he could see the machine's body. He couldn't, but he couldn't hear it either, so he assumed that he had lost it for the moment. This was a relief. "I'm counting this as a victory." He murmured as he leaned against the edge of the window to rest. It wasn't until after he slid into the building through a broken window, found more stairs and rubble to climb down, and got outside that he remembered the broken tooth.

"This'll have to work." He murmured, looking it over, "Not really a head, but it'll work well enough." With that he started back towards the camp. His body was aching, but he was confident enough and prepared to return to Seven.

* * *

It was nearly sunrise when Cat appeared. Seven had fallen asleep beside the fire waiting for him to return and awoke with a start as the male limped in to camp. "Cat?" She asked in questioning, keeping quiet as not to awaken the others. The male crossed over to her before dropping what he was carrying. There was one of the sharp fangs of the Canine Beast that he presented to her and she just stared at it in surprise. "A Canine Beast," Cat explained, nearly bragging, "I brought this back for you."

"You were attacked?!" Seven asked in alarm and the male shrugged a little. "Not exactly…" Though as he began to sit down his clearly open seams bothered him. Seven noticed them and was quite disturbed by them. She immediately stood and went to retrieve Five's bag so that she could patch Cat back to his normal state. She soon was stringing a needle beside him and looking to him in confusion, "Why didn't you try to flee?" He gave another look of pride, "It was a Canine Beast, there was nothing worth fleeing from, all it did was chew me a little."

"A little chewing can give you a lot of stitches." Seven reminded and Cat added in, "I wanted to bring you back something. Now you can use that…" He stared at the tooth silently before shrugging, "For something, you'll find some sort of use." The pale female was quick and soon got his meaning, "You fought a Beast just to bring me back something? Cat, that's insane." She then gently poked the needle into his shoulder and began to stitch it closed again. He paused during this time as he took the slight pain of the stitches.

"Yeah, maybe, but you're worth it." He excused as she clipped the excess thread and moved to another gaping wound. "Just want to show you that I could handle it. That I could be a _great _mate." He hadn't intended to emphasize 'great' that much, it made him sound sarcastic when he was trying to be sincere, and Seven abruptly froze. She was questioning so Cat added in, "I heard you speaking to the twins earlier." Now the Warrior gasped lightly and the Beast turned Stitchpunk forced a chuckle, "I guess I haven't done much to prove myself as a good mate, so I wanted to prove to you that I can take care of you."

The Warrior felt guilty as she looked down at the claw, "Cat, I didn't… I didn't mean that you would be a bad mate, Kitten, I just don't know…" She lowered the needle and moved to sit beside him, "I'll be honest with you, Cat, ever since our…. Our kiss I have been going back and forth. I thought that it was simple enough, that us being mates would cause multiple problems, but I'm not sure anymore." His brows raise, "Wait, the claw worked?" The female stared at him silently for a few seconds before answering.

"No, Cat. The claw was a nice gesture, but I've been… These thoughts have been going through my head as I waited for you to come back." She rubbed her arms in an attempt to warm herself in the cool night. He slipped his arms around her, ignoring the pain in his wounds and new stitches. She sighed a bit and reached upwards to slip her helmet off so that they would fit more comfortably together. Then she allowed herself to rest against his chest, listening as the dull purring began to start again. She had become so used to it and surprisingly fond of the affectionate signal.

"Nothing's written in stone, Dove." He insisted, "Why could try it and if it turns out it's not working then we can split. Simple as that." Though he didn't really mean it; he was sure he would be more than a bit crushed if Seven suddenly decided that it wasn't going to work out and abruptly ended it. The choice made Seven ease quite a bit, though. She finally made her decision. "Alright, Cat. We can… We can try this. We can try us being together like this." Seven turned her head to look upwards at him and he smiled before pulling his own helmet off.

He let it drop behind him forgotten as he leaned in and claimed her lips desperately. Once again she was stolen by the strangely overwhelming pleasure that piqued her interest further. Perhaps these wonderful kisses were a sign that she had made the right decision, she hoped so. When they eventually pulled apart to pause and catch their breath she murmured, "I love you." She was sure of it, she did love him, but she wasn't sure in what way yet. It made Cat purr louder and he nuzzled against her cheek with every bit of affection he could muster.

"Alright," she suddenly spoke, pushing him off playfully, "enough of that. You're not stalling me from my job any longer." She lifted the needle once again and he visibly winced seeing it. It amused her; how someone who recklessly injured himself could find the small prick of a needle to be that annoying. She continued to make small stitches as his wounds started to close. Soon they were all sealed and her hand ran over his back to make sure that they wouldn't catch. "Be easy on them for a few days." She insisted before putting the supplies to the side.

To his surprise she moved back to return to the cuddling and put her arms around him, nuzzling into him. He felt a small bit of surprise that she was being so suddenly affectionate. He had assumed that she was going to be more loving if they were mates, but he didn't really expect that she would be so willing so soon. It made his night completely worth it and he held her back, slipping his arms under her knees and behind her back. Before she could protest he pulled her into his lap.

For a second Seven didn't seem to know how to react, but then simply rested against the male's chest. That was, until he again decided to move, this time standing and holding her in his arms. The Warrior gasped a bit, "Cat, your back!" He gave a confident smile, "I'll live. Come on, let's get some sleep." She could only smile a bit. This was the Cat she loved; prone to injury, unnaturally risk taking, and devoted to only her.

* * *

**Mable: Alright, so why this has taken so long. As you may know Halloween is coming and I was split between one of two Fanfiction to post a write. There was a series of shorts and a chapter fic. However, I recently pondered it over and realized that the chapter fic would probably make a better Christmas story. So that means that I have to get about five short stories done by then, so my work has been all over the place.  
Now I know this chapter took way too long to post, but I am going to take the normal week off so that I can get some chapters done. If I don't I'm afraid that I'll get stuck in another rut like this, but I'll be back next Monday with normal uploads once again! Thank you for being patient and I hope you enjoyed!**


	37. Chapter 37: The Next Event

**Mable: The update was supposed to be last night and I'm sorry. I got to feeling ill and before I could post I had to get to bed. It was already past Midnight anyways, so I apologize.  
Anyway, here's a recap: Last time with the Stitchpunks Cat overheard Seven disagreeing with them being good mates. As such, he went hunting, and brought back an offering to Seven. Seven explained that he didn't have to do so and voices her concerns about their relationship. With his assurance they decided to begin a relationship together.  
I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

* * *

_**Fabric Runs Shallow**_

_Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Next Event_

It was almost bluntly obvious what was going on between Seven and Cat. For the last three days of their time at the shore the two had been wrapped around each other. Sometimes they would lay together on the sand and bask in the sun's warmth. Other times they would go out in the water which Seven somehow coaxed Cat to go out into. It the long run the two were obviously getting closer in the short amount of time and they were quite pleased with it. It wasn't until the last day in the morning that they decided to announce it.

They waited until the others were awake and hadn't yet gone down to the shore before Seven spoke. She decided to explain it as they both agreed that she was better with words. Cat was bound to be too bold and say something that would shock or offend the others. So instead Seven spoke clearly after getting the others' attention, "Cat and I have decided to start a relationship." There were a few congratulatory words and smiles from the others, such a Nine, Child, Five, and the twins, but nobody really seemed surprised.

Eight actually leaned over and pointed out to Six that he thought they were already together, to which Six shrugged a bit dismissively. The twins were becoming ecstatic and nearly leapt onto the two out of joy. After the moment had slipped by they headed down to the shore to spend the last hours they had there. It was around this time that Nine and One decided to make another attempt with Twenty-One. While he was making a sandcastle, or more like a sand lump actually, Nine subtly sidled up beside him and crouched down.

Twenty-One looked up to him and smiled before pointing at the sandcastle, "Look!" He proudly pointed out, pleased with his creation. "It looks great, Twone. Is it your castle?" The little Stitchpup murmured a quick, "Yes." Now the zippered male looked to the tiny Beast in his hand. The Training Beast was barely bigger than he was at birth, but he was beginning to move more and was already eager to get out of Nine's hands to run around and explore. He reached forward and set it beside the sand lump, then coaxed it forward.

It started to climb to the top of it curiously and Twenty-One blinked and stared at it, then looked to Nine, "It's on it." He pointed out, not sure why it was climbing his castle. Nine smiled and insisted, "He likes the castle too." It made Twenty-One a little happier, but the Beast continued to confuse and astound him somewhat. He reached forward and touched it over its back with his small hand. "Can play?" He asked Nine and the zippered male perked, looking over to One who was watching from some ways away with an interested look. Nine gave him a smile as a signal that Twenty-One was starting to catch on.

"He can play. You just have to teach him how." Nine explained, taking the little Beast in his hand and laying it down in the sand before Twenty-One, guiding him to approach the Stitchpup. Thankfully the small creature wasn't afraid and climbed onto Twenty-One's leg. He giggled from the tickling and fidgeted a little, but the baby Beast responded by continuing to wander around until it toppled over and fell onto its back. It sat there for a few seconds, flexing its legs and squeaking, before Twenty-One grabbed it softly and put it back on his leg.

"There! All better!" He praised as the little Training Beast began to climb around him again. Nine watched with pure joy; he knew this was the beginning of a fulfilling relationship. Maybe he would have to watch him for a while until he got used to the Training Beast, but it was worth it. After a short while One came over to watch Twenty-One and Nine decided to go get back in the water. However as he hurried over into the sand he noticed that most of the others were out as well. This made it more comfortable since he was still a little hesitant after the shark attack earlier.

He stepped into the clear water and stared around through it as he scanned for any sign of the swimming nescience. Thankfully it was absent and he now decided to cross over to Five who wasn't doing anything in particular. Nine started over to him, pulling his way into the deeper water, only to suddenly freeze as he noticed something dark nearby. Finally he had seen it and to Nine's horror the worst had happened; the shark had returned. "Five…" He whispered direly, not wanting to talk loud as though it would alert the creature.

The one eyed male turned to look back at him, "Oh hey! How'd it go with Twenty-One?" Nine just shook his head, "Five, don't move." The one eyed blinked and the zippered male insisted, "Five. Don't. Move." He spaced out perhaps a bit too dramatically as Five suddenly panicked, "What is it?!" He started twisting around, looking around fearfully and causing him to disturb the water. Nine could see that the swimming creature noticed and was coming. "Five, look out!" He called out and pointed the creature out.

Five turned around and looked towards the creature before abruptly relaxing, "Oh… The fish?" The zippered male insisted, "It's a shark! It's dangerous!" Five looked a little amused, "No, I'm pretty sure it's just a fish." Nine looked at the fish for a few seconds before realizing how unthreatening it was. In fact, now that he thought about it, it had only nipped him during that night. He simply exhaled tiredly, "Remind me to never trust Child's judgment."

The afternoon went on normally until later on when One finally called out to the others, reminding them that they were to leave. "If we don't begin heading home now then we will need to walk at dark if we want to make appropriate timing." This didn't seem to make much sense to the others, but they were ready to head home as well and soon climbed out of the water and such.

It was at this time that a new problem emerged. While looking through her tent, Four realized that she was missing her knife. It surprised her and she drew attention to her twin. Three had taken her own knife with her when she awoke in the morning. Since Seven hadn't sparred with them today Four hadn't jumped to bring hers while Three only brought hers out of whim. Now though she was shuffling through the blankets and, to her confusion, couldn't find it at all. Three assisted her and they folded the blankets before taking the tent down.

Still, there was no sign of the knife, and now the twins looked around to see if it had fallen somewhere. That was when Three saw it, shaking Four's shoulder and pointing over. It was in the last spot that either expected. Or, it was being held by the last creature that they expected. Yet in the loop of Shoestring's body they could see the blade poking out, glistening. Four hurried over to the Beast and crouched beside him before grasping the knife and tugging. Surprisingly Shoestring tugged it back and suddenly unraveled himself before moving away.

She was taken aback and perhaps a little uneasy by the situation, so instead of approaching Shoestring again she sought out Six and Eight. Pointing at Three's knife then the Tailor Beast got their point across. "He stole your knife?" Six asked in confusion before looking towards the Guard in amusement, "He takes after you!" Apparently he was trying to joke over the awkwardness of the situations. Eight, however, didn't seem too concerned, "Guess he does. Here, I'll go get it." He strode over to the Beast, Six following, and kneeled beside him.

"Come on, Shoestring, hand it over." The Guard insisted, taking the knife in his grasp and going to tug back only to realize something. "What the…" He murmured to himself. Now he realized that the Tailor was not holding the knife. The knife was somehow fused to the tip of one of its arms. "How… Why would he do that?" Six asked in alarm over the Guard's shoulder as he stared at their adopted pet. The Tailor Beast innocently sat there staring at Eight with an interested expression. The Guard turned back towards the twins. "I'll make you another one."

Four looked a little downtrodden, but nodded and made thanking flickers and a quick bow. It did dampen her mood and Four noticed it even as they started to travel home to the Sanctuary and Library. For the net few days she stayed in this mood and at one point None even asked Three. "She's saying she's alright," He pointed out, "But she doesn't seem very alright." Three tried to explain through hand gestures that Four's confidence was shaken now that she was missing her weapon, but doubted that as much got through as she would have liked.

Finally when they got back to their Library home Three took the first opportunity to drag Four down to their study so that they could find something to cheer her until Eight finished her new knife. Though it wouldn't usually take long he was part of the unpacking crew, so they were not able to estimate how long until completion. However, Three did know what would cheer her sister, and suggested that they look through books on holidays. The other female passively agreed, but wasn't very excited about it, and merely dragged her feet as she followed along.

It was then that they had stumbled upon a single photo that Three pointed out to her sister. It was a picture of four children, cut out of a newspaper article, dressed in odd garb. It was labelled as a 'Halloween celebration' so immediately the twins grew curious. Even Four who had been so disinterested was confused at why they were clothed like it. Then they went through the books and discovered the truth. Based off of some sort of holiday to scare away spirits from what they read, children and adult alike would dress in costumes and exchange sweets.

While they weren't sure how to make sweets, something about costumes and mischief seemed interesting. Unlike the other holidays it was more mysterious and frisky, and Three turned to her sister and insisted that they were involved with this. Four now finally perked and nodded in agreement. They got a bit more information on the subject. They weren't sure when October would be or whether or not that was the months. The Stitchpunks hadn't yet started to really follow a human calendar and most of the year was decided on the weather and season more than names of months.

Though it was growing colder quickly and was feeling especially fall like so they deduced that it had to be close enough to October to be near Halloween time. Their first task was to put on costumes, they assumed, and their faces alit in playful smiled as they rushed off to look for something adequate. While neither Three or Four were especially good at sewing, they were good at making use at what they had, and soon made a makeshift costume. Three sat her sister down on a book and wrapped her in a piece of black fabric like a crone before using a bobby pin to keep it closed.

She then got the bottle of ink and dipped her fingers into it before drawing over her twin's face. She put black ink on and around her optics so that they looked dark. It was around this time that None had wandered into the study, curious to check in on the two. "What are you up to?" He asked curiously, smiling playfully as he leaned in to see Four's new face coverings. The female looked a bit shy and her twin teasingly pulled him back and gave hand gestures for him not to smudge any of the ink. "You look great." None praised to his mate who waved her hand dismissively.

He then added in, "What is it for? A special occasion?" Four eagerly nodded and jumped upwards in the middle of Three's touch up, sending a smear of ink down her cheek as she rushed over to the propped open book that depicted a small scene of Halloween. Three retorted by putting her hands on her hips in mock disappointment. Still though, she was glad Four was out of her mood, and watched as she excitedly showed None everything. Unsurprisingly, the male also became intrigued by the prospect of 'Halloween'.

"So they just make themselves look like Beasts, their kinds of Beasts, and then scare each other?" He asked and the twins both nodded as Three again approached to start working on her sister's costume." That sounds great!... Well, I mean…" It had come out a little wrong perhaps, but he assured them. "I'll go mention it to the others, okay?" The twins agreed, especially since they were in the middle of their work. It didn't take too long for Three to soon take on the same appearance as her sister and now they had identical costumes.

However, they were not done, not in the slightest. They went to seek out their newest victim. Unfortunately Six was drawing nearby and the second they saw him their innocent optics widened in interest. He didn't even get a warning before they circled him from both sides. Now in their dark crone garb the Artist jumped back in surprised and stared in confusion quietly. Though once he noticed that they were smiling he realized that it was obviously a game or something. As such, Four pointed towards her clothing and then to him, as though signaling something.

"You want me to put that on?" He asked, reaching down to pet his key. The two shook their heads before Four did the action again, slightly different. "You want me to put _something _on?" he offered and now they nodded before both helping him up, eager to begin crafting his costume, looking at his unique appearance with creative optics. They drug him back into their study and sat him down where they had taken turns getting dressed. Three scurried off to grab something and Four went to drag the inkwell over, but waited for her twin before she did anything.

When Three returned with a familiar, makeshift strait jacket Six was becoming a little uneasy. "Where…. Did you get that?" Three and Four went into a quick explanation which Six struggled keeping up with. All that he could focus on though was that he knew he was going to get stuck in it once again. Naturally he felt uncomfortable as he hadn't wore it since his breakdown some time ago. Three opened it behind Six and offered him to put his arms inside. The Artist exhaled tiredly and slowly did so, feeling it fit onto his body snuggly and watching as they began to cross his arms over.

It took him a few seconds before he realized they were tying him like a real strait jacket. "No!" He abruptly cried out, pulling his arms apart. The twins looked confused and Six's optics flickered back and forth in embarrassment before murmuring, "Umm… Claustrophobia." He explained and the twins nodded in understanding. Now instead they decided to simply tie the leather straps without tying the arms down. Then they began to work on Six further, trying to wipe off certain ink stains and adding some to other places, like under his optics in an odd, darkening way.

It gave a slightly sinister look and after the first time he was flashed a glance with a piece of mirror he decided he liked what they were doing. Maybe he looked stranger, but since they were dressed like this too it would be fine. Yet the twins weren't done. Even after Six felt confident with his costume they wanted to keep going and went to seek out another victim. Their optics locked on poor Seven so quickly that she could almost feel their gaze. They hurried over to her, nearly running straight into Eight who stared at them in alarm at their new clothing choice.

He still simply head over to Six who was now reading into the Halloween book a little. Most of the information didn't interest him, but he noticed the sections that applied directly to wearing costumes. "What's with them?" Eight asked before abruptly, and bluntly staring at the return of the strait jacket. Six didn't blame him, but smiled in quick explanation of some sort, attempting to show that this was a stable choice. "How do I look? The twins went at me." He explained and Eight responded positively, "Good. Any reason you got caught under them?"

The striped one shrugged before pointing out the book, "It's Halloween. We're supposed to put on costumes and give each other things or we scare them." Eight's brows raised in relative interest at the situation, "So… You have to give me something or I get to scare you?" Six got a bit of a playful smile and raised himself on his feet as high as he could, "Not exactly. I'm the one who's dressed; you have to give me something or I'll scare you." Eight raised a brow again, but he was intrigued by the challenge, he wanted to see what Six was going to do.

He leaned in a bit, a playful smirk on his marked lips, "Yeah? How are you going to manage that?" Yet right as Six was going to do something, anything from the way his small mouth was tugged into a mischievous smile, but was interrupted when Seven was suddenly dragged into the area by the twins. She greeted the two males who jumped apart from each other, both seeming like they were plotting something.

It certainly was going to be interesting.

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**Mable: The next chapter should be posted tomorrow. I hope everyone enjoyed!**


	38. Chapter 38: The Costumed Prankster

**Mable: Here's the next chapter! I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

* * *

_**Fabric Runs Shallow**_

_Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Costumed Prankster_

Pranks were one of those things that Stitchpunks didn't frequently partake in. Mostly because they felt there was no need to do such things. Now that there was an opportunity, though, Eight was unleashing a cunning side of him that was unknown until this very moment. Even now, waiting in the watchtower, he had another plan in the works. The Watchtower was still barely built and was yet to even have a roof, but since Two and Five were coming up to work a bit more it was more than an ample opportunity.

Two and Five had also fallen under the costume craze that was eating at the others; Two was wearing some sort of decorated mask of cardboard that he was having trouble seeing through and Five had a strand of cloth tied around his waist and some sort of rag on his head. Two claimed that he was a pirate, not that Eight knew what a pirate was. While Eight had yet to get the twins to make him something acceptable and was instead just wearing most of his armor. That didn't mean he wasn't in the spirit of the holiday though.

"Hey Five." He spoke, drawing attention from the Healer, "There's something out there." He gestured out into the Emptiness and the one eyed Stitchpunk blinked in confusion. "Really? I don't see anything." He peered out and Eight insisted, "What do you mean? It's right there." Finally the Healer went to get his spyglass out of his bag that had been left in the watchtower. He didn't find it strange at all that the spyglass had been left out and lifted it before pressing it to his optic and staring out into the Emptiness.

"I don't see anything…" He stated again before realizing, "Oh, I get it! You got me, Eight." He smiled, thinking it was a prank to get him to look, and not noticing the black ring left on his optic lens at first. Eight smirked a little and Five blinked a bit before, suddenly, they were joined by a new addition to the watchtower. This time it was Six who entered in, still in his costume but looking strangely uncomfortable. Eight was a little curious, Five was trying to focus on the black smudge now on his lens, and Two headed over to the Artist.

At first Eight was mulling over his prank for Six until he noticed that Six really was upset. He was slumped and tired looking, so the Guard approached as well. "You okay?" He asked and the striped one looked up at him. There was a strange defensiveness in his mismatched optics and he stumbled with his words, "I-I'm just… I'm just feeling a little tired… I think I'm ill." He insisted and Two checked his forehead for a fever before Eight blinked in confusion, "You were okay earlier." He pointed out, though didn't doubt Six as he did look awfully distressed.

"Hmm… No fever." Two remarked before pushing his mask onto his forehead, "But let's not let something get overlooked. Come downstairs and I'll give you a full exam, alright?" The Artist nodded a bit and seemed to rush out of the Workshop quickly. Two followed in his footsteps and Eight glanced to Five, "Do you think-…?" Five now had the ink smudge smeared over his lens, leaving him nearly blinded, but still having enough vision to give Eight a somewhat exasperated look. The Guard decided not to comment on it.

Later on Eight did head downstairs to go find Six. The second he approached the Workshop Six came stumbling out, "Ah, It's alright, Two!" Six said a bit too loud and Eight noticed he was panicking. "I-It's okay, I'll just-…" He turned around and jumped at seeing the Guard behind him. "Eight, ah, how long…?" Eight wasn't impressed by Six's behavior and suggested, "Is this some sort of bad prank?" He asked and Six inhaled sharply, as though hurt, "What…?" Eight smirked a bit, "Stumbling around, pretending to be ill, talking loud; this is just some sort of big prank, isn't it?"

Suddenly Six looked relieved and also looked convincingly truthful, "No, Eight. How could I prank you like that? I'm just not feeling well and…" He sighed a bit and admitted, "Two told me he thinks I should get some rest, but I'll miss Halloween if I do." Finally Eight saw past his suspicion and returned to the concerned mate, "I'm not going to go against Two. If he wants you to lay down, you should." Six shook his head quickly, "No, no. I'm not tired or anything. I just… I'll go to bed early tonight, but I want to do something special today."

"Special?" Eight got a smirk across his lips and nudged the shorter male, "Want to help me with something?" Six blinked in confusion and the Guard looked mischievous. It wasn't too much later when the Artist was roped into another one of Eight's pranks. He had become the supplier and was now carrying around one of his smaller inkwells as Eight tried to quietly work a nail into the wood above Seven's door. As Seven was down in the Library the target was clearly Cat, who was taking a brief nap in the room, and Eight was more than glad to finally get revenge for all the times he had disturbed his sparring sessions.

Six, meanwhile, seemed a little distracted from what Eight noticed. He was peering down the hall at Nine and None who were trying to put together their own kinds of costumes that they had made using spare cardboard, fabric, and more. He wasn't sure what Nine was yet, but he had cardboard on his back that looked like cut wings while None's costume comprised of fake cardboard bellows on his back, a dragging bit of fabric formed like a balloon, and a round bit of glass seemingly tied to his belly.

In a way he somewhat resembled a Stitchpunk Chancellor Drone and Six guessed that it was what he was going for, while Nine must have been going for a Winged Beast. "Ink well." Eight suddenly noted and Six perked before handing it over to the Guard. Eight had a tricky, if not somewhat insanely matted, way of arranging the thread around the nail and the ink well. It held it well enough, but the smallest tug and it would topple over. Naturally this was the point. The Guard then turned to Six, "I'm going to ask you where Seven is."

The striped one answered, "I think she's downstairs with the twins." It took him a second to catch on, "Oh! Oh, okay." He agreed again and Eight got a cunning look before handing the long remains of the thread to Six. "Here. See that tack down there?" He pointed to a tack pushed into the wood on the other side of the door. "Wrap it around there. It'll go across the door and he'll never notice." The Artist felt a bit bad doing so and looked a little guilty before Eight persuaded, yet again, "it's just ink. It'll come out." He then headed inside to wake the male.

Cat was sprawled out on Seven's bed, limbs practically hanging off the side as his helmet covered head was tucked into her pillow. The Guard slipped closer before nudging the other. "Hey," He greeted, "You seen Seven?" The Beast turned Stitchpunk seemed to roll over sluggishly, but at least awoke quickly enough, "She's not been in here." He explained and now Eight looked back to the doorway where Six had finished and called, "Have you seen her?" Six answered clearly, "I think she's still downstairs with the twins."

"Why?" Cat asked curiously with a simple shrug and Eight responded, "The twins got Seven in a dress." It wasn't a lie; Eight knew that they were planning on shoving her in a dress, but this was primarily bait and it shockingly worked. Cat slowly sat upwards and stared at the male with a raising curiosity, "She's wearing a dress? Really?" Eight shrugged, "I'm not promising anything. She may have pulled the thing off by now." The male now stood and hurried to the door, "I've got to see this." Six knew it was coming, Eight knew it was coming, but poor Cat knew nothing.

The second he hit the wire the inkwell dunked over and a splash of black liquid fell directly on the male. Eight quickly sidestepped him and hurried off down the hall while Cat began to let out a clearly annoyed growl. Six scurried off after him, nearly running to catch up with him, and as they entered the throne room they were having much different reactions. Eight was clearly much more pleased with his prank that Six was, muttering something about black cats and bad luck, though Six wasn't sure what he was trying to imply.

Though this wasn't the end of odd occurrences though as Five suddenly sprinted up to them. "Six!" He called out before skidding beside him, "Six, you shouldn't be running-!" He cut off as he noticed Eight beside him and briefly stared. Eight noticed that Five looked fearful somehow, or uneasy, and it was clearly directed to himself. The one eyed one bowed his head slightly, the bandana on his head sliding slightly forward as he tried to subtly whisper, "Six, isn't that a little dangerous in your condition?"

Five whispered and Six gasped before his head flickered to the one eyed male. He whispered quietly, "Two… Two told you?" Now the Guard was becoming a little confused and slightly concerned. Six had been acting ill earlier so maybe he hadn't been acting at all and had really come down with some sort of illness. "What?" He spoke and Six looked back before abruptly saying, "It's nothing, just the tiredness, I… I'm going to go see if the twins will finish my costume." He suddenly hurried over towards the bucket lift and Five casually wandered off.

Now Eight was left alone and was surprisingly feeling less than pleased about the situation.

* * *

It seemed like the twins had purposely made her look as extravagant as possible. As much as One loved to make almost mocking comments about how as a female she would eventually end up in some sort of dress, the main issue wasn't that it was one. It was what it was designed like. The makeshift corset design and crude stitching was clearly purposeful, especially as it was red thread dipping in and out of the fabric draping around her body.

She was supposed to be some sort of Seamstress and while she knew she was supposed to be terrifying it just seemed uncomfortable to wear something to resemble one. She drug her optics away from the mirror piece she was holding and looked over towards the others nearby. One and Two were standing by the twins who were attempting to dress Twelve in something. It was pink in color and looked to have a little hood with long things that resembled ears on it, but Twelve was looking a bit disgruntled and was not liking that the twins were fitting the fabric over her legs that was constricting.

Seven could respect the feeling and felt a small smile grace her face. That was, until she heard a familiar purring, hearing it coming from alongside her. She simply crossed her arms, her hands brushing over the red thread sewed awkwardly through the sleeves. "So you finally dragged yourself out of bed?" He began to circle her with a look of interest and amusement, though mostly interest. "And what is this?" He asked coyly and she only stared back as she noticed that he was partially black. "And what is that?" she responded, pointing out a part of the black smudge on his arm.

He looked down and growled, "That's all Eight." He murmured out and she now looked amused and nudged him slightly, "You're not the one dressed like a Seamstress." She pointed out and Cat chuckled to himself slightly, "I think your body is much better suited." She felt a brief heat rush to her face and glanced over to the group nearby who were still trying to get Twelve clothed while keeping her pacified. While Two was clearly more eager about dressing in a costume, One was apparently supportive of his children dressing.

Though Twenty-One didn't seem to be dressed yet, but was very eager for them to attend to him next, bobbling around and watching them manipulate his sister's body to fit her in the clothing. "You know, since you're the Seamstress and all, maybe you can get some revenge on Eight for me, eh Dove? You know how he squirms when he sees red thread." He ran his claws affectionately over her arms, then leaned in to embrace her in his usual, clingy nature. She smiled fully once again, "As much as I would love to, I think Eight will have something coming to him eventually."

"Oh? Care to elaborate?" He pried and she shook her head, "You're not good with secrets, Kitten. This isn't exactly something that can be salvaged if you slip." He shrugged a bit before burying his head into her shoulder. They stood there for a few seconds. "So what would you think about tying me tight and curling around me?" His playful joke with met with a casual elbow in the side.

* * *

Now Eight was done. The last straw was Six's avoidance of him and he strode after the striped male who was standing to himself and watching the others who had now grouped together. By now Two was standing with a dressed Twelve who looked like a Rabbit of some kind, though she looked more like a toy Rabbit than a real one. There were a few others standing around, such as Seven, Cat, both sets of twins, Child, and Julius. Child was not in a costume, but Julius was, strangely enough, wearing odd face paint, such as fake fangs and darkened brows to look menacing.

The innocent Artist wasn't actually doing anything, but he still barged up to him, glaring down in frustration as the striped one slowly looked upwards. "Eight?" He asked meekly, quietly, but the taller wanted answers and was firm. "I thought we weren't keeping secrets from each other." He accused and the smaller male looked downwards, "I… We aren't…" The Guard was insistent, "Then what's going on? I'm not stupid, I notice something's wrong." The small male looked over towards the others in paranoia, "Eight, let's talk about this later, please?"

Eight's optics widened briefly, "So there is something going on…" At that moment Six's mood abruptly changed. His optics flickered upwards angrily and he looked at Eight as though he was furious with him, "Just drop it!" It did nothing for his case, but it quieted Eight down massively, and right as Six began to storm away, One stormed over to him. "This is truly the last thing I expected of you, Six!" He bellowed furiously and the small Artist trembled, "Two… Two told you too?"

The Leader growled, "Two didn't have to tell me, I saw the writings on the wall; how could this be happening?! Do you have any idea what responsibility that you have taken on!? I tried to warn you, and Eight, and again my pleads fell on deaf ears!" Eight was confused and started to step forward before One growled, "How could you possibly get pregnant?!" Now the Guard froze, Six winced, and the others all abruptly looked over towards the group in surprise. Quietness overtook the entire Library until Eight murmured, "….Six?"

The Artist fidgeted with his front briefly as he turned around to face his mate, "Eight… He's right…" He admitted before suddenly opening himself, "I'm pregnant!" The Guard couldn't help but let out a short cry at sudden realization and flinch back as though in horror as he saw the glint inside of his mate's belly. A few seconds passed and silence overwhelmed, only broken when Two suddenly burst out laughing. Eight didn't understand how Two could find the situation funny until he realized that the light inside Six's depth was reflective and clear.

It was not a soul, not colored the same or anything, and as Six got a little bit of a smile he realized what was going on. Now all of the others were smiling, except for One, and Six reached inside to pluck the light and pulled it out, revealing a mere bit of glass, reflecting the light slightly. It was fake, there was no soul, it was all a prank. From the way that Six was starting to smirk a little it was obvious that he was proud of Eight's reaction and from the others' reactions it was obvious that they knew. Especially Two who straightened himself and remarked, "We are cruel."

He was still amused at the same time and Eight asked, "You all were part of it?" at this moment One sputtered in frustration, "I was absolutely not!" He fumed and directed a glare at Two who was apparently a big part of it. Eight himself now looked to Six with a look that was expressionless, that look of him about to flip and Six subtly closed himself, still a smug smile on his face, before he pitifully murmured, "You were asking for it." Eight got a clear look of annoyance at being made a fool and Six merely continued to smile, subtly feeling unnerved by the lack of a direct reaction.

Then, suddenly, Eight actually got a bit of a proud smile shockingly. This was the last thing Six expected. "Didn't peg you to be so sly, Six." The smug smile of Six dropped in alarm, "You're not upset?" The Guard insisted, "Course not. I'm going to get you back, but I'm not upset." Six could only stare back at him for a few seconds.

Six had seen Eight's pranks when he was passive, he couldn't even imagine what revenge would be like.

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**Mable: Whoa, this is… Is rushed, badly rushed. I'm just having to hurry off tonight and couldn't do a proper once over of it… *sigh* This is getting frustrating falling behind like this. I hope that you enjoyed the chapter!**


	39. Chapter 39: The Fearful Film

**Mable: Massively overdue, I know, and I'm sorry. -.- I don't even have the Halloween story finished yet! Unfortunately this means it'll get stuck being a day or two late, but I think it'll be worth the wait. ^-^ Anyway, I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

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_**Fabric Runs Shallow**_

_Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Fearful Film_

Nine exhaled in frustration as he turned to the side again to wedge himself through the doorway. The wings were becoming more than a bit of a hassle, not to mention that the metal wire that had been shaped onto his head like a brace of some kind were distressing, but at least he liked how he looked. He looked across the room to see Child sitting at his workbench. "What are you doing up here?" He asked curiously with a smile, "Everyone's going to start celebrating downstairs soon." It would be a simple affair with music and perhaps a film if they could find one, but it was still exciting.

"I will be there in a minute." Child answered before Nine noticed something peculiar, "You're not dressed." The albino raised a brow, "Of course I am. I'm wearing my cloak." Yet Nine wasn't content and wandered over, standing behind him and resting his hands on his shoulders, "Come on, Child, everyone else is dressed in a costume. We can find you one." The male was still unconvinced and relatively uninterested, "One isn't in a costume either." Nine protested, "One's a pope. Two said it as a joke, One thought it over, and now he's determined that he's a pope."

Then Child got a small and playful smile, "Then I shall be a Scientist. It is done." Nine was torn between the urge to roll his optics in exasperation and the urge to laugh a bit in amusement. "No, come on. One can be a pope because apparently he looks like a pope. You need to try some." He leaned over the male and smiled reassuringly, "It'll be fun." Child scoffed slightly, "Fun? Like tomorrow morning when half of the others will have to scrub their face for a clean hour to relieve some of the ink from their fabric?"

"Don't be like that." Nine insisted pointedly before humming to himself. "If I find something good then will you put on a costume?" The other released a soft exhale before somewhat caving, "Very well, Poppet. If you find something easy to remove and not very embarrassing then I will be more than happy." With that, Nine managed to get back outside of the door once again, and then he headed down into the Library. It was just by luck that he was able to find Two so quickly and approached him about the situation.

He knew that Three and Four had been the ones who were making costumes frequently, but they were busy with looking for films or something along those lines, he wasn't sure but he didn't want to interrupt. "Two, I need your help with something with Child." He insisted and Two got a knowing smile, "Oh? Something devious?" He released a comically overblown laugh, purposefully as he pulled his mask down to cover his face again.

Nine chuckled along at the scene and shook his head, "No, nothing like that, not yet at least. I'm looking for a costume for Child. He's stubborn, again, and I'm having trouble even getting him to pretend he wants to participate… Again." Two put a friendly arm around Nine and started to lead him towards the study, "Well then, let's look for something! I'm sure we'll be able to put something together." Thankfully the twins had left out a book they were looking through that had a page of various pictures of humans wearing costumes.

It was obvious immediately why none of the others had decided on the costumes in the book. They looked difficult to replicate; whether a furry covering or a large ball gown they were much too drastic. However, Nine stumbled upon one that looked simple enough, looking like merely a human wearing peculiar clothing. He pointed it out to Two, "What about this one? What is it?" The Inventor peered at it briefly before humming a bit, "I'm actually not too sure… It says it is a Vampire, but your guess is as good as mine."

He immediately retracted his statement, "Wait, I am certain I heard One refer to someone as a vampire before. He's our best chance." Thankfully Two had an idea of where One was and found him quickly. Six was trying to add to Eight's costume and One stood nearby watching when Two confronted him. "We're seeking answers on vampires." He pointed out and the Leader seemed a little surprised by the request, "Why on Earth would you be asking about vampires?" Nine pointed it out, "Costume reference, but what is a vampire?"

The Leader simply remarked, "An unholy being that drinks the blood from humans. Many years ago humans feared these creatures, which did not really exist. The superstitious would impale those they deemed with vampirism and cover their body in clovers." This fact was a bit sketchier, but it perked Nine's interest. A part of it seemed disturbing enough to certainly please Child and he looked to Two who chimed in, "If you want, I can help you fine the means for the costume." Nine nodded in agreement, "Yes, of course. Thanks for your help One."

The male gave a dismissive sort of noise, which was slightly humble for him, and the two left to gather items.

When Nine appeared back in Child's room the pale male was in the same position as before, sitting at his desk, only looking up when Nine laid a lot of jars and items onto the floor. It looked like random things he had gathered and Child was a bit amused, assuming Nine was just going to throw something onto him without a direct plan. That was, until Nine abruptly announced, "How about a vampire?" The pale male just stared at him, silently, and Nine added in. "They suck the life out of people to replenish their own."

Surprisingly, or perhaps not, Child looked a bit insulted by the comment. "Please tell me that it was intentional." Before he could protest further Nine sprung forward and tried to work his hood down. "You can still wear your cape, we just need the hood down to work on the face." The pale male was being as difficult as possible and unresponsive as he could, but soon Nine wrestled him into sitting in front of him, facing him. The zippered male leaned over to one of the small, clay pots he brought and opened the lid, revealing ash tucked inside.

"You didn't want ink, so this is the best thing. Vampires are supposed to be ashen pale and while you're almost there you need a bit more grey." The other male looked somewhat unhappy with the situation, his optics straying back to his sketches and blueprints on the workbench briefly, but he straightened and allowed Nine to do what he wanted. After all, in the end it would make him happy, and that made Child content enough. After Nine was certain that Child's face looked the perfect blend of white and grey he leaned in and gave him a brief peck on the lips.

A thankful kiss for his cooperation. It kept Child pacified as Nine moved to the next jar and two, small metal pieces. They were prongs clipped from a fork that Two had suggested using and inside the jar was thick glue. "Open your mouth." He instructed and Child just stared, "You cannot be serious…" Nine smiled eagerly and insisted, "The glue isn't that strong. Both Two and the twins insisted that it'll wash off with a little turpentine. It'll keep the fangs in." He leaned forward, one of his hands resting on Child's cheek as he gently dabbed the base of the fang into his mouth.

He was preparing to push it in when Child suddenly overtook, "Let me." He insisted and Nine was happy to do so, glad the other was somewhat willing. Child set them in near the front so that it would still be comfortable and once finished with such Nine beamed at him. The male stood and straightened his cape a bit before asking, "How do I look?" His mate smiled, "Great! Two mentioned a collar, should we try for a collar?" He continued to pry and Child agreed. They headed out into the Throne room where there was some cardboard left behind which the shaped, wrapped the hood around, and formed it like a collar.

It was well enough and now Nine managed to coax the other male downstairs. The back room was filled with the Stitchpunks who were preparing for the film to be brought to life before them. Thankfully the twins had found something tucked away that apparently Two and Five had brought in quite a while back. Apparently it was about an overly large animal kidnapping a human and attacking a city, which seemed interesting enough, even if a few of the parties were skeptic. Seven in particular was unsure whether the movie would be good for the younger Stitchpunks to watch.

Unfortunately, against her better judgment, she was very interested in the type of film and because of such let her better judgment slip under the rug for the time being. The twins needed assistance from both Five and Two to get the phonograph working with the projector. Nine tried to convince Child to go show his costume to the Inventor and, unsurprisingly, Child was reluctant to do so at first and nearly had to get steered over to him. The albino male grumbled the entire time, suddenly deciding that he looked like an 'adolescent' specifically.

"How's it going?" Nine called to Two and Five as he wandered up towards them. They had just set the record into place and were waiting for Three and Four's cue to put the movie on. "Hey." Five greeted before looking to Child, "You look good, Child." He started before promptly asking, "What are you supposed to be?" Child murmured, "A human with a fork in my mouth." This actually got a bit of laughter out of Five and an annoyed glance from Nine. "You make an excellent _vampire._" Two remarked with clear amusement before returning to his work, "You two should find a place to sit. We're almost done."

With that, they did. Child now led Nine over to a comfortable area before the sheet that would be the resting place of the film's visuals. The two settled in and soon the movie began. It was a varying experience. Child's time was mostly focused on Nine, putting an arm around his back, underneath his wings, and holding him close. He could clearly see that the monster in the movie, which was a large ape creature, was some sort of fake and because of this wasn't entirely interested. Nine was the exact opposite, staring at the image before him with wonder and curiosity.

Every scene with a human seemed foreign, the large beast was alarming, and yet it all lured Nine into a state of want. Towards the end of the movie an hour or so later, he leaned in next to the pale male and murmured. "You remember how I mentioned becoming a traveler?" he asked and the other silently nodded as he glanced to him. "Do you think it would be possible…" He began, "For a Stitchpunk like me to get to a place like that?" He guessed he meant the island and remarked in response, "Not without a proper boat."

"I know it's probably silly, but I'm seriously thinking about travelling." He pointed out adamantly. "Even though we just got back I… I still want to see more. I don't feel finished." It was true, though. Nine was quite eager to see more from the world and willing to travel to do so. The other male leaned in and tilted his mate's head slightly to the side. The zippered male blinked, "What are you doing?" Child gave a small smirk and murmured, "I'm going for your neck. You asked for it, insisting that I be a vampire."

The zippered male didn't get how it added together, but soon Child's mouth was on his neck, kissing over it in different rhythms. Nine winced at the ticklish sensation and tried to smother any soft laughter. "Child, not now, the others are right behind us." He reminded pitifully and the male responded by finishing and moving to his cheek, "I promise, Nine, I will take you to see the world. But for the night, let's just have tonight to ourselves." Nine suddenly seemed to perk for a few seconds, "Tonight for ourselves…" He murmured, briefly, before shaking it away and smiling.

"I think we can do that…"

* * *

Child awoke groggily to footsteps outside of the door. He was in bed, as usual, with Nine lying beside him. Child hadn't remembered either of them taking their costume off after last night. It was odd; Nine seemed too eager to kiss and cuddle after the film, and they had nearly gotten to mating if not for them falling asleep. The zippered male rolled over and cuddled into the albino male's chest with a small smile, "Last night was great." He pointed out and Child blinked; that tone almost sounded like he was suggesting they had done something, but they hadn't.

"It was." He agreed while focusing on the kisses that they had shared with one another. The zippered male was very affectionate this morning and continued to nuzzle into his hook and eye closures. Suddenly Child was feeling a little frisky and decided to continue what they had left out last night. He slipped an arm around his waist, he moved his mouth to his neck, and right when he was about to kiss he was stopped. "Wait," The zippered male warned, "I hear someone… I think it's my brother." He seemed a bit fearful and Child discarded it.

"If he sees then he can leave. Besides, I doubt he will come in here after last night." The zippered male smiled a bit, "You're right. He's probably still sleeping." He laid down beside Child and let out a quiet sigh, "I just… I'm afraid of how he's going to react when he finds out…" Now Child was a little confused and slid upwards in bed, "Why would he be upset." The younger looked upwards with worried optics, "I just don't want him to get hurt." He remarked before fondling the blanket and staring at it.

"I know he will be. The last thing I want to do is hurt Nine."

Child caught it immediately and for a second he just sat there, his optics rolling to the side briefly as it registered before he looked back to the zippered male. "I'm sorry?" The male looked at him with sad optics, "Nine loves you and if he finds out about last night-." Suddenly a look of horror past Child's face and he spouted in denial, "No- This? What is this?" he took the zippered male's shoulder and started to turn him over. The male went along and soon Child could see that he was missing a number on his back. It wasn't Nine, he was in bed with None.

"Nothing happened last night." He denied tenaciously and None insisted, "You don't remember? It was… The best night of my life!" He blurted out and still Child denied, "No, I was with Nine, not you." Yet the zippered male insisted, "I know you're upset about Nine finding out, but we can keep it a secret." Child started too slid against the wall like a panicked animal, "There's nothing to keep a secret about. We were _not _together last night." He insisted before he suddenly heard footsteps outside of the door and the curtain opened, revealing Nine.

Child stared in horror, "Nine-." He started, but Nine blurted out, "What's- Why are you two-?!" He sputtered and now None blurted out, "Nine, I'm so sorry! I didn't… I'm so sorry!" He blurted out and Child now called out, "Nine, nothing happened! I swear!" Yet Nine's face contorted in anger and hurt before calling out, "I can't believe you'd do this to me!" He suddenly disappeared into the hall and Child tried to climb out of bed, None seemingly getting in his way. He practically climbed over him and started towards the door when suddenly Nine dashed back in.

The albino was surprised by his return, but especially when he noticed that Nine was holding Five's harpoon. "I can't believe you did this to me…" Nine growled out, panting, looking shockingly deranged. "I love you, Child, and if I can't have you then no one will!" Child couldn't believe this and lifted a hand, thinking Nine was bluffing, "Nine, just put that down. This is a mistake." The zippered male glanced over to the bed before lifting the harpoon and firing. Child didn't actually see it impact, but he heard None cry out, and looked back to see the male fall limp.

Suddenly Child was terrified as he realized that Nine was very able to hurt him. It didn't help that Nine was able to hide another needle under his arm, pulling it free and reloading the harpoon before aiming now at Child who raised his hands. "Nine, just settle down…" he insisted, but Nine only came closer, glaring angrily, "Are you saying that I am mistaken?! Is that what you're trying to say?!" Child tried to say something, anything, but Nine soon interrupted him, "If anything you made the mistake…" He murmured quietly before pointing the harpoon fully at him, "In trusting me."

The albino stared, not understanding, and then Nine got a wicked smile. Suddenly None sat upwards in bed as well and Child glanced back and forth. Suddenly it clicked that something wasn't as he expected, especially as None climbed out of bad and as Nine suddenly released a burst of laughter at Child's expense. The albino male's optics widened as he suddenly realized that this was just another prank. Nine and None, meanwhile, were practically patting each other on the back for their performance. "I think we might have given Six's prank a competitor."

None pointed out in pure amusement and Nine looked to Child, "Child, it was just a joke." He pointed out, unintentionally rubbing it in further, and the pale male's optics suddenly went red as he stared at the two with a growing look of annoyance. Then he began to start standing before Nine winced and murmured to None, "Ah… Maybe we should get out of here…" As Child stood to his feet, metal limbs slipping from him back, None agreed with, "Yeah." With that he ran as fast as he could out of the room, nearly leaving Nine behind.

Nine took one glance at Child and headed for the door as well. Perhaps he couldn't outrun him, but he could certainly try.

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**Mable: Okay, so this is the end of the Halloween arc that I was supposed to post days ago. Though the next arc will also involve that after effects, such as Eight and Child's proper revenge, I need some time to work on it. I know it seems like I'm not getting anything done and, well, that's because I'm not. I need to tackle one at a time so I can finish the late-Halloween tale. Anyway, I shall begin posting again next Saturday. I hope everyone enjoyed!**


	40. Chapter 40: The Apprehensive Times

**Mable: Here we are! We return with uploads of 'Fabric Runs Shallow'****once again! ^-^ Here's a recap: In the last chapters the Stitchpunks dressed for Halloween and played pranks upon one another; two of which being Six's revenge prank on Eight and Nine and None's prank against Child. Anyway, I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

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_**Fabric Runs Shallow**_

_Chapter Forty: The Apprehensive Times_

Nine took refuge with Six in his room for the time being. He knew Child was still seeking him out and didn't even want to know what he was preparing to do. At least Six was in the same boat. Eight was clearly planning something, though most likely not as murderous as what Child had planned, so he had been nearly hiding in his room drawing. They weren't alone, though. Nine could see the lump on the bed nearby and knew that Shoestring was in the room. Though he had grown and was laying fully across the bed. "How is he?" he asked, pointing to the Beast.

Six looked towards the lump and smiled in a friendly way, "He's okay. Aren't you Shoestring?" At that moment the lump on the bed moved, revealing that it was only the Tailor Beast's tail. The body of it was still tucked behind the bed and he now had a good idea how big it had gotten. It didn't help that when it shifted he could hear the clanging of metal knives and such. "He's getting… Huge." Nine admitted and Six actually looked proud, "He is. I think that means that he's healthy." The zippered male decided to drag his eyes away from it and looked to the striped artist.

"I guess so… Six, what are you going to do when he becomes an adult?" The Artist glanced over at the Tailor laying nearby and felt a pang of distress, "I… I was going to keep him here, with us." He pointed out and Nine insisted, "I don't think he's going to fit. Maybe you should move him down into the Library?" The striped one fidgeted uncomfortably, "I… Maybe… Maybe I'll take him down later." It was clear that he was attached, but it was also clear that Shoestring wouldn't fit into the room forever.

The zippered male smiled, "We could take him down to get him more introduced. It would get us a chance out of the room too." This was quite tempting as even though Six loved to draw he was ready to stretch his cramping legs a little. They stood and started out, Six calling Shoestring who drug itself out, it's slightly deepening voice cooing in response. It slithered its way across the room and followed them out into the hallway. It was slightly unnerving, but Nine was glad to head out with Six, even when he knew that most likely any Beast would be more prone to obey Child.

This could be setting him for failure, but he didn't mind, and merely walked by Child's eerily quiet room quickly before entering the throne room. Six briefly glanced over at Eight who was standing beside One at his usual post and waved a bit. There was a sly smile thrown into the mix just to keep the Artist on the edge. In reality, Eight's plans for a revenge prank had yet to come to fruition, so he was stalling by keeping Six uneasy. Either way, it was working, and he hurried downstairs with Nine and shoestring in tow.

Though it was an interesting ride on the bucket lift as the Tailor was practically taking up all of the room even though he was curled in on himself. They managed to make it down into the Library where the two began to cross through, soon stumbling into the study where some of the others were. Julius was over in a cubby looking at something while the twins were gluing pages onto their book. Seven was nearby fixing her spear and Six headed over, "I'll be right back. I need to tell Seven that Eight finished the knife." He explained before looking back towards the entrance to the study, "Please watch Shoestring."

If anything, Shoestring was watching Nine, like he was a predator and the doll was prey. It made Nine uncomfortable as he looked back to see the Beast. He winced a bit and decided to avert his optics before approaching the twins, "Hey Three, Four! Need any help?" As he stepped out of range, Shoestring's attention turned and seeing Six over with someone else the Beast started to slither off. It looked around through the towering books for something, anything to pacify itself. That's when it came upon a Stitchpunk that it felt interest towards going through some remnants of a desk.

None was innocently going through a pulled out drawer, sifting through the tightly packed remnants. All he had found so far was another letter opener that piqued his interest to be useful. He was certain that Four would be interested in it at least and was just starting to become excited when he realized that he wasn't alone. There was Shoestring some ways away, peering out from behind the books. While Shoestring's interest was actually on the letter opener and not None himself, the zippered male expected the worst.

"Eight…" He called out in a testing way only to receive no response, "Eight, Six, come get Shoestring." He was starting to panic and this was only worsened when Shoestring suddenly darted forward towards him. It's red optic, now surrounded by collected porcelain chip that were slowly being melted together, was glowing bright as it slithered towards him. None leapt backwards, holding the letter opener like a blade as he fumbled backwards. He slid down a mound on a book and somehow managed to keep his footing before ending up by a broken lamp.

The Tailor was hot on his trail. It slithered around the desk and after him as quickly as it could. He started to sprint, but it nearly tackled him to the ground, using its weight to pin him down and tearing the letter opener out of his grasp with his own clawed digits. None's struggle was in vain as the letter opener was stolen by the Beast and soon carried off somewhere unknown where it would then fuse the metal part onto his arm. Yet even though None was free he didn't feel any safer and stumbled to his feet, panting desperately as he looked around.

"_Where did it go?!" _He asked himself pitifully as he swiveled his head around to seek it out, "_It couldn't have gone far!" _Worse still, he could hear it as plain as day nearby, scratching somewhere in the vicinity. The paranoid Stitchpunk retreated under the desk where he hid for a good few minutes until there was more noise. Shoestring suddenly slithered by again, though wasn't looking for the male and instead seemed to go off into an unknown location towards the front of the Library. At this time None began to sprint back to the study.

When he abruptly dashed in the others were taken aback and None stumbled to his twin, grabbing his shoulders. "Nine, Shoestring attacked me!" Nine blinked in alarm before asking, "What?" None did correct, "Well, not really attacked, but he… He came at me aggressively…" He released Nine as he started to calm down and dropped against the large book, unfortunately smudging one of the newest newspaper clippings that was pasted. The twins scrambled to stop him and as he popped away attempted to smooth the wrinkles.

"Sorry." He murmured before Nine grabbed his shoulder, "None, come on, what happened?" The younger twin explained, "Shoestring tackled me and stole a letter opener that I found. He was completely on top of me." He was clearly distressed and Nine exhaled slowly, remembering that he was supposed to be watching the Beast. "I'm sorry. Are you okay?" He looked over his twin in an overprotective way and the male insisted, "I'm okay, I'm okay." That's when Six wandered over to the group with a worried look, "Are you sure? Are you sure he wasn't trying to play?"

"He wasn't trying to play." None insisted firmly, but then his voice eased slightly in an attempt to not upset Six who looked more disturbed. "But… But maybe he wasn't trying to hurt me… I guess he can't really understand how to react with something smaller?" Yet the Artist was only a little pacified and exhaled, "I'll have to try and tell him not to do that. Where is he?" None shrugged a little before leaning on his twin tiredly, "He uh… He went somewhere towards the front of the Library. I don't know where."

Six left the study and began to search. "Shoestring!" He called out, cupping his mouth. There was no response and he assumed that he either was too far to hear or hiding out of shame. He continued to search for him. "Shoestring?" No response of any kind and he continued along. It wasn't until he got to the front that he was worried. He heard no noise of the Tailor, could see no sign, and it was eerie how the front entrance was always open. He cupped his mouth again and cried out, "Shoestring!" Again he received nothing in return and felt dread fill him.

He just had the feeling that Shoestring had gone out into the Emptiness. He immediately turned back and started to hurry towards the bucket lift. He raised himself up and barged into the throne room. One had moved over to the window where he was holding and rocking Twelve who was cooing pleasantly. Eight was in the same place as earlier, so Six rushed to him and sputtered out, "Eight, something happened!" Eight raised a brow in doubt as though he believed that Six was trying to prank him or something. "Yeah?" he tested, that sly smirk returning which the smaller ignored.

"Shoestring is gone! I-I think he went out into the Emptiness!" He blurted out in a rush and now the Guard knew he was serious. Still, Eight didn't seem as concerned as Six was, though moderately disturbed, "He just left? That's a little weird." Then he shrugged, "But we knew it was bound to happen. He's probably just out in the courtyard running around. He'll be back." The striped one was still distressed and looked down at his feet, "I hope you're right…" Unfortunately, Eight wasn't right, and the day passed onwards.

The others ended up finding out about the incident with the Tailor and were clearly disturbed. One was nearly ready to keep the Beast out. "I don't want that _thing _around my children! Aggressive or not if it did to Twenty-One or Twelve what it did to None it could have severely hurt them!" Eight had, thankfully, stood up for the Tailor that he had somewhat became attached to. "Six and Nine were moving him downstairs anyway, Boss, and you know how Nine and None blow things out of control." This pacified One only enough that he stopped for a short while.

Six waited at the front of the Library until Eight joined him and by this time the sky was starting to grow dark. It was obviously a more pressing situation for the Artist. Time continued to pass and eventually Child confronted Six, sitting beside him and explaining calmly. "We knew there was a chance of this." He explained, his hands folded in his lap. "Seamstress and Tailor kind are secluded and secular creatures. He may have decided that it was time to leave on his own. He might have gone out to even find a mate."

This didn't comfort Six and he pulled into himself sadly, because he didn't want to believe it he knew that Child had a point. "But he was still small…" He murmured softly and Child raised a brow, "He was taller than you." Six insisted stubbornly, "Only when he straightened himself and he never did that." A few seconds passed of Six staring desperately and Child looking back with look that was both blank and yet carried that same bit of sarcasm in it. Though he felt no need to correct Six and exhaled before putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Six, it's alright. He may come back in a few days, but if he doesn't then you did all you could. You raised him, you gave him his first tools, and now he's out there seeking a future. He was born with the need to find another. It was out of your control." The striped one nodded before leaning against his shoulder, looking over to Cat who was sitting nearby watching. Seven was beyond him keeping a keen watch for the Tailor, unlike Cat she wasn't bluntly ease dropping.

The only reason Cat caught his interest was because he had considered what was going to happen to Tailor in the past, and part of him always thought he would be some sort of Stitchpunk or Machinik creature like Cat. He had always hoped that Shoestring would be a permanent part of the family. His mismatched optics dropped back down to the ground pitifully. Right after this he stood and started to head back inside quietly, staring at the marble floor intently. Nearly running into Eight who was leaving, "Hey."

"Hey." Eight greeted before continuing along and for a second Six stopped before looking back at him, "Where are you going?" The Guard looked back and remarked, "Out. I'm going to find Shoestring." Six was surprisingly pessimistic, "Eight, he could be far into the Emptiness." Yet the Guard was immediately stubborn with it and insisted, "Probably, but I got to try. I'll be back in a little while." The striped one was still taken aback, but felt a little smile appear at his mate's concern. This was what Eight wanted, a little bit of Six's happiness, and he leaned down to press his lips to Six's forehead.

"This isn't a prank or revenge or something, is it?" Six asked quietly and Eight answered as sincerely as he could, "No, I'm saving that for our anniversary."

* * *

Sometimes when Child became bored his mind wandered into the wrong things. Planted at his workbench once again he stared over at the Talisman resting on it. He hadn't even remembered why he grabbed it, he had just found it sitting on Nine's bed and swiped it for his own interest. He reached out and tapped the object with lazy interest. It was a peculiar item with its secrets and contraptions. He already knew the combination to unlock its secrets and drug it across the wood and before him. For a few seconds he just stared at the orange, circular item.

Then he had a new urge. _"It I have the port anyway," _He started, thinking to himself, _"I ought to try it for something. An interesting experience perhaps." _More or less, he was weary and bored, and wanting to try something. Most of the others were still worrying or fearful about Shoestring being missing and Eight going out alone to find him. One had quite a fit over that realization, one that Child was best to avoid as he knew One's slanted optics would be directed towards him, and perhaps Cat. While Cat was willing to rock the boat, Child wasn't that foolish.

"_Yet here I am with this. Exhibit 'A' resting in my hands." _A small, amused smile played on his lips as his hand dropped to his chest to unhook his closures, which he pulled open the folds of to reveal the port hiding underneath. While he didn't actually feel it, it seemed to tingle as the Talisman was so close, and he turned it to place it in. The cold metal touched his port and he gave a full shiver before pressing it inside. It was so odd; he had touched the Talisman before, might have even put it in his port before, but today it felt different.

"_This thing's been broken so many times by now, there's a good chance it could just give me a bad shock and then refuse to come free." _Even at this suggestion he had it clicked into place and leaned back on his chair, which had such a flimsy back that he partially wondered if he would fall backwards. He still knew the combination as well, tapping the buttons in sync before him before watching it suddenly open itself. It glowed in its core as usual, but Child suddenly felt odd, his body feeling strangely energized. He reached his hands forward to rest in front of it.

Then, suddenly, the Talisman changed as a small bit of green light started to pull out. It was difficult to understand other than Child was kneading nothing and yet green light, soul light, was coming out of the Talisman slowly. It took him a few seconds to realize where the soul was coming from and to realize why he suddenly felt so tired under such an odd form of duress. He was taking part of his own soul out through the port on his chest, through the Talisman. Sudden dread washed over him as he worked the light back inside.

Thankfully it took little effort; as though the second he released control of the kneading it pulled back on his own. Everything was much quicker then; the Talisman was shut, he quickly ripped it free, and then threw it into the corner of his room while abruptly standing and stumbling back the other way, giving it a suspicious glare as though the item was to blame. He still felt that tiredness. _"Could I have really just removed my own soul with that thing?" _He demanded in suspicion, _"No, no. I would have passed out first… Or Creator I hope I would have. I'm being irrational, I had that much control." _

There came the new realization and problem, he had control. He had control in an area where he was directly not supposed to. It still piqued his interest, though. He had just affected something so intimate with such little effort. He had to know more, he had to see how far he could take this, and as his rapped his fingers on his workbench he murmured out loud. "I need to research this further." Child had a feeling he was already getting in over his head.

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**Mable: I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter and I'll post the next chapter tomorrow as planned!**


	41. Chapter 41: The Chilled Guard

**Mable: Here's the next chapter! I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

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_**Fabric Runs Shallow**_

_Chapter Forty-One: The Chilled Guard_

It was so late into the night that morning had nearly come. Seven had attempted to wait at the entrance of the Library for Eight to get back, but it was becoming very apparent that the male was going to take a while. This was especially certain when small flurries began to come down from the sky. It was at this time that Cat appeared to sit alongside the female, dragging a blanket along with him to drape on her shoulders. "Any sign of him?" He asked in interest and she exhaled, releasing a puff of smoke from her breath in the cold air. "Nothing. Not even a glimpse."

The taller male sat down on the broken piece of statue, it looked like a hand, beside her and started to put the blanket around her, "You should head upstairs. If he's not back by now he'll not be back at all." The female shrugged a little as she pulled the blanket around herself, "That's what I will think, but the second I leave here he'll appear." Cat got an amused look, but agree with her comment, and she added in, "Thank you for this. It's bitter cold." Indeed it was, with the ice bits coming down and the wind somehow making its way through the door into the Library.

She pulled her legs upwards to fold beside herself in an attempt to retain warmth as he leaned over into a relaxed stretch beside her, putting an arm around to hold her. He beckoned her to rest against him, which she did as she was growing weary and cold, accepting his comfort. Cat was partially nocturnal, though it was more of a habit than being something built into his core. Reluctantly Seven's optics began to slowly close and she started to fade into sleep against the male's chest. He watched over her, trying to not purr loud enough to disturb her.

It was hard to get her to relax and put her guard down, but when she did it usually involved a special moment of being wrapped in each other's arms. When it came down to it Seven was actually very affectionate once her duty to being a backbone to the others was no longer needed. He continued to hold her close before he noticed something out of the corner of his optic. He looked towards the far gate and immediately perked as he saw a large figure beginning to stumble in. It was clearly the Guard known as Eight coming towards the Library.

He didn't look completely there as he wandered in almost a confused motion towards the front, and Cat reluctantly shook Seven awake. "Hey. He showed up." He nudged and the pale female looked over towards the gate tiredly, starting to rouse herself. She noticed his odd pattern of walking. "I think he's limping." She directed and Cat shrugged a little, not exactly noticing it himself but willing to agree that Eight was moving a little strangely. She started to sit upwards, her stiff body partially protesting to the movement and the cold briefly feeling intensified as she sat upwards.

He continued to stumble towards the building slowly and soon Seven and Cat headed over to him. "Eight, are you alright?" Seven asked and the Guard looked to her, his eyes looking a bit unfocused, "Yeah. No sign of Shoestring." The Warrior then noticed something and gasped, "Eight, you're soaking wet! How are you even standing there?!" He sort of shrugged and stumbled a bit, "I fell into a… A bucket or something. It's alright, some guy pulled me out or something. I'm feeling fine." Seven just shook her head in disbelief and grabbed his wrist only to choke, "You're freezing!"

The Guard shrugged again and now Cat spoke, "He's delusional." Eight didn't make any remark at this and both Seven and Cat knew it was true. "You have to get inside." Seven coaxed and began trying to lead the Guard into the Library. She was surprised that he was still standing in his current state, let alone breathing, and Cat chimed in, "Come on, Big Guy. You're about two seconds from being an ice block."

The only one really awake at the moment was Child who heard them pass his room. He had yet to go to bed and had been instead working with the Talisman for hours. "I should note that with the ability to remove my own soul if I had a receptacle I could, in theory, create my own homunculus beings. Though they would, too, be only a portion of my size and that would be cruel." He quietly murmured as he wrote, reciting the words so that he could make sure it sounded good enough.

"Whether or not I will be able to use the Talisman in reverse is currently unknown, but considering the circumstances I doubt I will have a willing test subject." At this moment he paused as he heard the stumbling in the hall and looked over at the curtain, waiting for if he would be interrupted. Yet he wasn't, and instead he could hear Seven coaxing Eight along. "No, Eight, you can go see Six in a bit, you need to go to the Workshop now." This was followed by her speaking to another, "Please go get Two. He needs to take a look at him before we lose complete control of him."

He heard a quick response and knew that it was from Cat. Now Child stood and headed to the doorway, catching Cat as he was passing and stopping him, "What's going on?" The other male looked over and looked amused while rubbing over his upper back, "You're still up?" he smiled at the albino male who sighed tiredly, "Yes. Just as I was an hour ago." The tall male knew little of what the male was working on and merely shrugged a bit, "Hold on, I have to go wake Two up. Eight's half frozen and delusional." He then started off and Child blinked a bit before considering going to see what he meant.

In the end he just shrugged it off and instead headed back inside his room before sitting at his desk. He glanced over at Pet and Toto's little bed and could see them under the miniature canopy that Nine and Five had built only a short time ago. There were no red lights coming through the opening which meant that they were all asleep, both of them and the small infant they had. He stared at the bed for a few seconds before hearing the sound of footsteps. Now Cat and Two were passing by and Child felt a perk of interest again.

He was too tired to focus on his work any longer and stood before exiting the room, looking down the hall. Two entered the workshop as Cat now went towards Nine, Five, and None's room to probably wake Two's apprentice. Child lingered forward before stopping at the workshop door, pushing the curtain open and staring inside. Eight was over sitting on the cot looking a little dazed and beginning to shiver slightly. He wasn't sure what had happened, but Seven was trying to dry him with a blanket, so apparently he was wet.

"You should have stopped." The female insisted, but Eight was acting strange, merely rambling, "Yeah, probably, but after he brought me home I wasn't thinking of it." He was confused most likely. "Who was he, again?" Seven asked in a slightly patronizing way, as though she didn't believe him at all. Then again, Child didn't believe him either, he was so confused that it was obvious that nothing he was saying could be trusted. Two was also growing more and more disbelieving, but as he got more blankets out he asked more about the trip to keep Eight alert.

Soon Cat passed by again, this time with a just awoken Five, and he took Seven's place to help warm Eight. Two grasped her shoulder affectionately and insisted, "You can head to bed. You look tired. Eight's stable for now." With that the Warrior nodded and started to head out, putting her arm around Cat's and leading him out with her as they headed towards their shared room. Child watched them leave before looking back inside for a few seconds. Then he was interrupted again; this time by Six's hand on his arm. He looked over to see the striped Artist standing beside him, staring into the room in alarm.

Considering how many Stitchpunks walked back and forth, Child wasn't surprised that Six was awakened. The Artist suddenly came out of his trance and rushed forward into the room, standing beside the large male. "Are you okay?" He asked quickly before grabbing his hand to reassure him, only to feel how cold his hand was. "You're so cold." He pointed out in a sympathetic and somewhat guilty tone before looking to Two, "Is he going to be okay?" Two nodded and Five decided to explain, "Eight's showing signs of beginning hypothermia, but because we have him here now we can warm him up and fix it."

Six then suggested, "Can you bring him into our room? We have blankets, the bed is warm, I don't want him to have to sleep on the cot." The healer smiled at this and assured him, "Course we can!" At this point Child pulled back and decided to return to his room. Though he paused briefly to ask why he wasn't in bed with Nine or why Nine hadn't come to find him yet. _"Oh yes… I'm still angry at him." _He noted; the prank was separating them again, naturally, but perhaps it was a good thing. It gave him a reason to continue work without the zippered male finding out.

At this he headed back through his curtain and into his room while Five, Two, and Six started to escort Eight back to his room. The Guard was a little more alert, but was shivering vigorously, and as he was led into his room he dropped onto the bed and was covered by the others. "Now I would recommend a full night's sleep." Two insisted, "Try to keep warm and try to get some rest." The Guard gave a bit of a nod as he nearly went unconscious. At this moment Two turned to Six and whispered, "If he begins to breathe too slowly or shows signs of growing hypothermia then come get me." With that, Two and Five headed out, and now Six climbed into bed beside Eight and curled again him.

The night soon gave way to morning and when Eight eventually awoke, fully warmed and alert, he found that Six was missing from the bedroom. Slowly he got to his feet and stumbled over to the doorway and pushed it open before heading down the hall. Six was already in the throne room scribbling on a piece of paper before looking over. He perked quickly, "Eight, you're awake. How are you feeling?" The Guard rubbed his head slowly, "Tired. Can't remember when I got in last night."

The shorter scurried over to him before leading him to his post, as though attempting to guide and protect him without need, "You weren't well last night. You were saying weird things." Eight groaned a bit, "I wasn't high or something was I?" He was relieved when the other merely shook his head with a smile. However, it wasn't bound to last, as both knew what was coming and stalled it with silence. Their footsteps being the only noise in the currently empty throne room. Six ran his sharp pen nibs over Eight's palm affectionately before he asked.

"Did you see Shoestring?" The Guard didn't answer at first. He got to his post, he stood there a second and glanced towards the empty throne, and only then did he answer. "No... No sign of him." The mismatched one was upset, but not surprised by the answer and responded with a simple, "Oh…" For a few seconds nothing passed before Six forced out, "Well… He'll come back someday." Eight went to protest, "Six, he's gonna be back before 'someday'."

Six protested, "No, Eight, it's okay… We both knew he was going to grow up and leave… It may have come sooner than I thought, but we knew it, and it's okay." It wasn't completely okay in any sense, but the Artist didn't even want to address it. "I'm just… I'm going to draw." As he started to head back to his drawing he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. Eight wasn't ready to let him go fully, to believe that he was alright with this. He turned him around and affectionately pulled him into his strong arms, holding him safely and firm, and began to stroke over his head.

Six fell against him and allowed himself to accept the comfort as he attempted to suppress any excessive emotions. He didn't want to cry about this, he didn't want to feel this horrible sadness, but he had no choice but to feel something. At least Eight was there for him for the time being and he would eventually feel better. It was only a shame that his visions had grown lesser, because he could only wish that he could see what was going to come next, and take some solace from it.

* * *

Child awoke to the curtain door flying open and only then realized that he had fallen asleep mid-work. He was laying on his side on top of his bedding, the Talisman beside him from his final moments in which he was studying it while laying on his bed. He quickly shoved the Talisman under his pillow as he heard the familiar voice of Nine. "Just coming to see how Pet and Toto are doing." His voice was cautious, as though he expected that Child was still boiling, and Child adjusted himself to look back, exhaustion chewing at his focus.

Though he mentally noted that his interest intensified greatly when Nine bent over to play with Toto. The female pet was much more playful now that the infant, who Nine was repeatedly referring to as Pinprick, was starting to become more active. "Are you going to take Pinprick to interact with Twenty-One?" The albino asked and the zippered male perked at the interaction, "I was thinking about it. Do you think it's a good thing to try?" The albino sat upwards with a nod and looked around for his hood only to spy it on the back of the chair.

He started to stand to get it as Nine lifted Pinprick, letting the baby sit on his shoulder. It seemed to fear the height and didn't move much at this point. Nine followed Child to the desk. There was that nervous tension; Nine was a little uncomfortable thinking Child was still upset, Child was hoping that Nine wasn't going to figure out what he had been doing. All it would take was a look at his desk, as he just realized when pulling up his cape. Out on the desk was a literal confession of all of his actions, only intensified by the fact of the little Talisman sketches were everywhere.

His mouth tensed in a sudden scowl of surprise and he abruptly through the hood over the bench. "Wrinkles," He excused, turning back towards Nine who raised a brow in confusion. "I'll need to figure out how to straighten it. The wrinkles." Nine still seemed confused, but in an endeared way and shook his head, "You know," He cupped his chin playfully and rubbed it as though thinking, "I think that you have fun finding things to pick at." Child straightened, "Is that so? Well, I think you're sorely mistaken."

"No, no, no. I think I'm onto something." The younger insisted playfully before lowering his voice and asking, "You're uh- not still mad about the prank, are you?" Child smiled a bit in amusement before murmuring, "Of course I am." The younger male winced a bit at the reaction before laughing a bit nervously at the comment. "Then I should probably leave you be, shouldn't I?" He reached upwards to pet Pinprick briefly before speaking, "Well, I'm off. Time to teach Twenty-One how to take care of his new companion."

He turned to head out when Child felt a throb of guilt. Perhaps he was still annoyed about the prank, but using it as a cover for his research was wrong, especially when he considerably was spending less time with his mate. "That doesn't let you out of this, you know." He playfully quipped and Nine blinked, "Out of what?" With that Child came forward, putting his arms around his frame coyly and pulling him in for a kiss. Nine was a bit surprised by the display of affection but accepted it warmly. They locked for quite a few seconds as their lips playfully caressed.

Child may have still been half asleep, but the kiss was purposely as good as he could make it, and yet it felt much more amazing than expected. Then again, there was something particularly special about a kiss fueled with desperation and slight frustration; it gave a different flavor, but one that was notoriously Nine like. When they finally pulled apart there were still small smiles and everything felt a lot lighter. "Want to come with me?" Nine invited and Child stretched a little, "Maybe a little later. I think I need a bit more rest."

The zippered male agreed, "Alright." He kissed him quickly once again before insisting, "Get some rest, Muffin. I'll be back in a little bit." With that he beckoned Toto and headed out the door with his pet in tow. Child sighed in relief and headed back to the bed before lifting the covers and climbing back in. He would only feel bad lying to Nine anyway, so it was worth getting some sleep. The research could wait for later.

* * *

**Mable: The next chapter is almost finished and probably will be by tomorrow, and will be posted promptly tomorrow! Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed!**


	42. Chapter 42: The Falling Out

**Mable: Sorry about the delay on this chapter! Anyway, I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

* * *

_**Fabric Runs Shallow**_

_Chapter Forty-Two: The Falling Out _

Only a day had passed and things were still a bit tense on both sides of the spectrum. Six was clearly still ran down after the loss of Shoestring and occasionally went down into the Library to stare out at the Emptiness. Almost as though he expected the Beast to slither back into his life once again. Julius also seemed upset about the situation. More than once Six had went into Julius' room just to sleep and rest. If there was any positive to the event, Six had recently had some sort of vision of some kind that had managed to both frighten and interest him.

So he felt like he was getting his sight back again. Yet it wasn't fulfilling enough to completely cheer Six and while he was getting better daily it wasn't fast enough for Eight. Nine was also having an increased concern for Child. While he had been helping Twenty-One interact with Pinprick, Child hadn't left his room in quite a while. It always seemed like he was doing something unknown to Nine, and it was starting to get to him. Neither Nine or Eight were sure how they got into the conversation beyond the fact that Eight was sitting in the Workshop preparing to have a follow-up from Five and Nine wandered in during so.

Two left most follow-up checks to Five as he was supposed to be the Healer and he wanted to give him some sole tasks that didn't involve himself. Unfortunately, Five took this very seriously, and when he did a check he would check everything. By this point Five had check most of his joints, his pulse, his heart rate, his reactions, his hearing, his sight, and was preparing to actually open him when he was turned down. That's when Eight's attention turned on Nine and Nine was more than willing to speak.

"I'm thinking we're in the same boat here." Eight admitted and the zippered male seemed confused, "What do you mean?" The Guard gave a shrug and folded his arms across his chest. "Six's upset about Shoestring so he's being quiet and keeping to himself. If something's wrong with Child then maybe he's doing the same thing." This dawned on Nine before, but he hadn't actually wanted to believe it. "But Child was acting fine the last time I talked to him. Maybe a little strange, but he didn't seem depressed."

Eight insisted, "They don't, trust me, but then one night you wake up and they're having an episode in the watchtower." Nine's optics widened and even Five, who was meaning to overhear, perked, "You… You found Six in the watchtower?" The Guard raised a brow, "Six? No. I'm talking about One." More shocked looks and Eight realized that maybe he shouldn't have mentioned it, though casually brushed it off with, "It was years ago." He insisted and the others seemed to let it go to an extent.

Either way, Nine was becoming a bit convinced, "You… you have a point. That could explain why he's been avoiding me… I guess I should spend some more time with him and try to help, or something." He seemed a bit unsure and eventually murmured as well, "I think Six could use something to cheer him up." Eight seemed surprised at the comment and quietly, again, raised a brow. "Shoestring isn't gone for good, he just moved out to his own. Six knows that, he's just upset for now, and he'll be better soon. I think it would help if you tried something to cheer him up."

Eight was slightly offended, "You know, I do try to make Six feel better." Nine was unfazed at the other's annoyance, "You know what I mean." Eight sort of looked away and Nine stretched a bit before standing, "Alright. I'm going to go check on Pinprick and then I'm going to see to Child. Do you want to come?" He addressed Five who paused for a second, "Sure…" He drew out, "But I need to finish with Eight-." The Guard abruptly stood, "We're good. I need to go see Six about something." He started to head out, "Eight, what about your hypo-?"

The Guard hurried out and Five looked to Nine before shrugging, "Well, I guess I'm free." With that he followed after the zippered male. The Guard, however, entered into Six's bedroom gallery to check on him. Six was again drawing as usual and looked over to see the Guard. A small smile crossed his face and he waved a bit. A sign he was being more social at least and Eight smiled back before wandering over to a few inkwells shoved in the corner. Six returned to looking at his drawing which he was almost finished with and tilted his head a bit, "Can you help me put this up?"

The Guard gave a simple, "Yeah, sure." In response before adding in, "You know where there's any tacks?" The striped one smiled and pointed down to a small box in arms-length. Then he continued to sketch a bit more. He wasn't sure what Eight was doing on the other side of the room, but Six wanted to finish the drawing so that they could find a place for it. Once done he wiped his hands on his sides and admired his work. It was the perfect replica of Shoestring on the paper, though it was him as an infant and not in his current form.

Six just assumed that he would draw the other stages later on and find a home for them as well. He looked around at the room before feeling slight surprise as he noticed that he was now seriously beginning to lack the proper room. "Remember when we could see the wall?" He questioned the other male with a joking tone. "I'm going to have to use the ceiling." Eight waved it off, "It'll be too hard to place right. Here, we'll put it in our room." The suggestion pleased Six immensely and he reached out to grab a tack, placing it in his lips before grabbing the sketch off the ground.

He started to head towards the door when he was stopped by 8 who suddenly seemed to slip in front of him. "Hey," He insisted and Six looked up at him before making a muffled noise, the tack being between his lips. Suddenly Eight got a mischievous look and leaned forward before pressing his lips to Six's, clamping the tack in his own lips and pulling back. It was a seductively tempting motion and Six felt heat raise to his cheeks. A light green color touched his cheeks and he got a small, shy smile. Eight had his own, tempting smile appearing before suddenly blinking strangely.

Suddenly Six realized that the tack was missing and the way that Eight was clutching his neck was suggestive. For a second Six completely forgot that Stitchpunks couldn't swallow and he began to panic in horror as he noticed how the Guard was seemingly choking. The male turned away and began to hack and choke. "Eight-! What-?! Hold on!" He sputtered in desperation, trying to do something but not knowing what. Suddenly the Guard turned back, blackness spilling out of his mouth. Six cried out in horror at the sight that he assumed was oil and twitch in distress.

Eight made a few gurgling noises before pausing, then giving a wicked smile. Six's mismatched optics widened at this and he suddenly realized that Eight had tricked him. It was just another prank. While he knew he should have been upset he suddenly felt a smile crack. "That's not funny!" He attempted to scold, but it didn't sound much like a scold with a wide smile on his lips. "You're right, it wasn't." Eight retorted with a smirk, "It was hilarious." He dropped a small inkwell he had been hiding somewhere in his bulk and grinned, impressed with himself.

"I'll get you back." Six swore, a low peal of laughter beginning in his chest while Eight challenged, "Yeah. Right. I'd like to see that." There was something about teasing Six in a friendly way. It was a lot more enjoyable than past bullying. It was friendly and yet still got Six riled in a way that interested Eight. Six was bold enough to tease right back, "Oh? Don't tempt me. I'll actually get pregnant!" The Guard still had a smirk before remarking, "That's a bad thing?" He took a cue from the sudden silence that this wasn't what Six had expected to hear.

The Artist smile faltered a little as he looked surprised, but adding in, "I… After your reaction the other day, I sort of thought maybe it would be…" Eight remained casual and gave a brief shrug to the smaller male before remarking, "It shook me up a bit, but I wasn't upset about it." The Artist gained another tiny smile and bent down to grab his sketch before straightening himself and shyly adding, "You know… Eight… A Stitchpup wouldn't leave us. It wouldn't have to leave and go out into the world; it would be with us, our family, forever."

That was when Eight looked surprised. Six had basically bluntly confessed that he would like a baby. They had spoken about babies before, off the wall comments, the occasional want, but this was the first time that they actually had an official talk. This was also the first time that Eight found the words slipping out of his mouth, "That would be nice." Six perked and Eight continued, "We're married, so we could probably have one…" Six started to smile eagerly, but seemed hesitant, "A-Are you sure? A baby- A baby's a big deal. A baby will take a lot of time and nurturing and…"

Eight found his sputtering adorable and smiled wider, "Six, if anything is a part pf you it can't be that hard to take care of." Six came forward at this and hugged onto his mate thankfully. He was overjoyed; before he had Shoestring all he had wanted was a baby of his own and even though he lost the Tailor they were now able to start the family he wanted. He looked upwards at his mate and insisted, "Here, let's go put that picture on the wall… And while we're there we can see if we can get a head start on the baby…"

* * *

Child exhaled deeply before taking in the air once again. He had to keep breathing during the procedure or he feared that he would be taking an unnecessary risk. Meanwhile the green light flowed through his fingers; trailing along from his body and trying desperately to slip back into his own depths. He knew it was dangerous toying with his soul in such a way, but he couldn't help it. He needed to research with something and he was the easiest thing to research.

Unfortunately he was right there, studying the removing of his soul, how he could control the Talisman like a part of his body, when Nine suddenly bounded in. "Hey Child, maybe we should-…" His voice cut off, he stared in alarm, and Child watched as the light abruptly retracted in his shock. He looked back to the zippered male and stared, unmoving, unspeaking. The burlap male was just staring silently with his mouth agape. The Talisman took this time to slam shut on his port and both flinched. Child at a sudden feeling of discomfort as the gateway closed and Nine at the mere sound of the thing shutting.

Silence overtook before Child went to take the Talisman off, "Nine, this is…" The younger didn't let him finish, "What are you doing with that?" Nine asked immediately, his voice filled with suspicion and, surprisingly, anger. Child was taken aback and popped the Talisman out before dropping it on the workbench. "Nine, Poppet, I know this looks rather odd but I am just doing research." Nine's brows furrowed together and he accused, "After all the trouble we've gone through with the Machine, with that- I told Father not to fix that, I told him it was a mistake!"

For some reason that Child couldn't fully comprehend Nine was beyond furious. "After everything you put the source inside of you?! You connected with it?!" Still Child tried to defend, dismissing Nine's behavior as simple concern. "It's just research. I can control myself just fine." Still the accusations came, "That was your _soul _out!" Child stood and approached Nine, desperately trying to resolve the situation less anything get more out of control. "Yes, but I had it under my resolve the entire time. Believe me, Nine, I wouldn't put myself in needless danger."

He approached the other male and put his hands on his arms in an affectionate and reassuring manner. "I just had to see. I was born with the port so it just made sense to eventually see what I could do with it." Nine started at him for a few seconds, blankly, and Child glanced to the side in confusion. This was the last reaction he expected from the male and he asked, "Nine?" At that Nine gave his answer, "No." Child was confused further, "I'm sorry?" The zippered male's glare intensified.

"I like to think that I'm patient, and that I'm forgiving, and that I'm a good judge of character. When I found out about you and the Machine I didn't let it ruin what we had. When you wanted me to call you Fabrication I thought it was, I don't know, some sort of game or identity crisis. Still, I didn't mind, but this is where I draw the line." Child was now the one to stare blankly and Nine continued, "You know… You know exactly what it did to the others using its own port and that exact Talisman! It took their souls! It nearly killed them through something so evil, so wrong, souls are not supposed to be stolen!"

Child tried to argue, "But I wasn't-." Nine insisted, "But you know how dangerous it is, how sore it is, and you still… You're still willing to practice with it…" He got a brief look of hurt, "I know how smart you are, Child… So I know that you must know what you're playing with. I know that you know exactly what you could do and…" Nine looked angry once again, betrayed, "I have to go." He started out of the room when Child attempted to stop him with a single hand on his shoulder. Nine merely pulled away and continued on, not looking back once.

* * *

It was almost obvious what had happened. Or, at least, it was obvious that Nine and Child were having a fight. The former seemed angry and refused to talk about the latter and the latter hadn't left his room since the event. Five had tried once to ask about what happened, but Nine was too dismissive and shot down any chance. That night Nine slept in his own bed, again, and another day passed of that same awkwardness. So while Six had left his depression behind and had started acting strangely giddy with Eight, Nine and Child were obviously having these issues.

It was the second night though that Nine started to show some signs of his own trouble. They were preparing for bed; Three and Four were coming to say good night to Five and None with small smiles and tiny kisses. Nine was making his bed, menial tasks seeming to become his main focus for some reason. It was once Three and Four were on their way out that Nine suddenly asked, "Hey None, it's sort of cold tonight. Maybe we should share a bed." None blinked in confusion. Since None had gotten his own bed Nine and he seldom shared and he blinked before smiling, "Alright! Any reason why?"

Nine paused, still smiling, and then shrugged dismissively, "No… No reason, really." None continued smiling, but both Five and he realized something was odd. The younger twin decided just to be supportive. "Well, okay! Come on, get in!" He insisted as he pulled down his own covers and began to climb inside. Five, however, was feeling unease by the situation, and it only was stranger when Cat appears at the doorway. He knocked on the doorway and smiled inside. "Hey." He greeted, scanning the room briefly before landing on Five.

"Five, could we talk?" His over exaggerated smile was just as fake as None's was and Five exhaled before crossing to the doorway. "Okay…" He stepped out into the hall. "What's wrong?" The male scratched his arm, same smile intact, and remarked, "We need to straighten out this Child and Nine thing." He then continued to explain, "Child in be still." The Healer raised his single brow, "Well, it is sort of late…" He desperately attempted to feign ignorance and Cat added in, "He's been in there since whatever happened yesterday."

He put his hands up in defense, "Now I'm the last one to want to get involved in their… Thing. You know? But this is out of control. Between depressed Child and… Whatever's going on over there." He gestured to Nine climbing in bed with None. "Something's got to give…" Five finished for him and exhaled, "I know what you mean, but there's nothing we can do. If they had a fight then they need to make up on their own." Cat nodded, "That's fine, that's fine. All I'm asking is for you to give him a little push." He made a pushing gesture.

"I tried with Child, but he seems content sulking in circles for the rest of his life. They just need to get talking and I think Nine's the only one who'll take the first move." Five nodded in agreement and agreed, "Alright, I'll speak with him. Maybe that will help some…" Cat smiled, "Yeah, thanks Five." He paused for a few seconds before adding in, "You know, I'm not just doing this for Child. I mean, Child's probably- I'm about as close with Child as you and Five are. He's basically the closest thing I have to a best friend, but I'm doing this for Nine, too. They kind of click and- You get it."

Five smiled at the comment and nodded, "No, I understand. Nine and Child were good together and a fight shouldn't ruin it... I can't promise anything, but I'll see if he'll talk to Child." Cat nodded in a thankful way and headed over into the room he shared with Seven. Five entered the bedroom he shared with None and Nine. Nine was sitting in bed, tucking his legs in when the Healer approached, rubbing the back of his neck in an almost shy way. "Nine," He started, "What was your fight with Child about?"

Nine decided to plead ignorant, "Child and I- We didn't have a fight." He denied, but it was obvious he was lying. None looked towards Five and the two stared at each other for a few seconds. Then they looked quietly towards Nine. They didn't have to say a thing, Nine caved abruptly and admitted, "Child and I had a fight about something he did. He did something that was… That upset me." He didn't feel right telling either of them lies, but he didn't exactly want to tell the others what happened either.

"So you're avoiding him because of that?" None asked in confusion, "I thought you were supposed to talk these things out or something." The zippered male gave a small, sad glare at the covers before murmuring, "There's nothing to talk about." That's when Five now chimed in, "Actually, I agree with None…" Nine gave him a firm look and Five insisted, "Or you can just sit here with us and do nothing, but then nothing will get done. You know what Two says about being proactive." Nine raised a brow and Five paused before answering, "He says it's great."

Nine didn't know whether to answer or not, but regardless he knew that None and Five had a point. He wasn't doing anything and nothing was getting resolved. Or maybe he didn't want to admit that he was missing Child, because the Talisman activity had unnerved him so much. Either way he laid back on the bed, "Alright, alright. I'll think about it, but I'm not doing anything tonight." He insisted and the two backed off some. "It's late anyway." Five explained as he crossed over towards his bed to lay down, Button already laying atop it and waiting for him.

When the candle was soon blown out Nine was in the dark, lying next to his twin, and only now did his own thoughts decide to torment him worse than None and Five had. They pried at him to go see Child, they reminded him of the horrific actions of the Machine, they reminded him of his relationship with Child, and they reminded him that he wasn't doing anything but wasting time. He let out a quiet sigh before rolling over and burying his face into the pillow beneath him. He would deal with it tomorrow; he would face Child tomorrow.

* * *

**Mable: So Six and Eight have decided to take a whack at parenting! ^-^ This can either go really good or really bad, depending on the situation. Anyway, shooting for the next chapter to be posted tomorrow. I hope everyone enjoyed!**


	43. Chapter 43: The Joining In

**Mable: Sorry about the delay on this! At least it finally is here. I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

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_**Fabric Runs Shallow**_

_Chapter Forty-Three: The Joining In_

Nine stared at the curtain before him somewhat desperately looking down the hall for some reason not to go in. None paused his talk with One and Julius to look over and give him a reassuring smile and wave. Nine waved back, but much more half-heartedly and followed by a pitiful slump before looking back to the curtain. He drug it open and peered into the dark room before him. It didn't look much different than a few says ago. However, it was a bit askew. The bed wasn't made and the blankets were ruffled, for one, which contradicted Child's usual obsession to neaten.

Child was over at the desk, slumped on it with his head in his hands. Most of the papers from the desk had been shoved off onto the floor and his cape was, as usual, hanging upon him. The zippered male could see that Pet and Toto were absent and assumed that they wandered out at some point. "Hey." He greeted, clearing his voice box. Child's head twisted to face him and his hands dropped to land on the desk. Almost as though he had been surprised and Nine felt the need to avert his optics.

The albino male didn't look good. He looked tired and run down immensely, as though he hadn't slept in the last day or so. He also looked unnaturally saddened; typically Nine didn't find Child looking depressed and when he did it passed rather quickly. The younger stood there awkwardly before murmuring, "You… Don't look very good." He pointed out and the other male now looked down at his desk. Nine continued further, "Where's the Talisman?" Child made a half-hearted wave over into the corner and the tan one glance over to see it resting there.

"_He sure likes throwing things when he's upset…" _Nine mentally remarked as he crossed over to the Talisman and kneeled down to lift it. He then unzipped himself and tucked it inside himself before turning to Child. "Look, I think we need to talk." He insists and the albino male straightened before murmuring, "Very well." He still didn't look much better even though he had straightened himself. Now Nine crossed to sit on the bed before patting it beside him which beckoned Child to wander over and sit down right beside him.

They sat there together for a few seconds before Child reached out and took Nine's hands in his own. Sluggishly he brought them between them and began to caress over his palms and fingers in small, circular patterns, closing his optics in thought as he reveled the warmth. Nine's mood plummeted as well and he felt sadder than anything. After all, this event had been devastating to them both, and yet it wasn't as though he could ignore it. Then, suddenly, Child announced, "It's over." In a firm and immediate tone he announced this.

Nine's optics widened, "What's over?" he then sputtered out, "Do you mean us?" Child corrected, "No, of course not, that's your decision to make." He pitifully got out before finishing, "The research is over. I made a foolish and reckless decision to even test it for a second. Please, Poppet, believe me, I never meant for this to happen." The zippered male exhaled slowly in a bit of surprising relief. Even with the fight the last thing he wanted to do was end his relationship with Child. He looked down at their hands before nodding, "It's alright… Maybe I was a little quick to jump to conclusions."

Child now suggested, "Off the hip?" Nine raised a brow, "…Is that a real term?" The pale male gave a small bit of a smile, "It is." The zippered male gave a somewhat relieved smile before leaning forward. He rested his head against Child's in a gentle nuzzle, "I'm still upset, but I love you, and maybe I'm a fool but I'm willing to forgive this." The albino male was insistent, "Nine, I've spent the last two days miserable. I'm not making the same mistake twice." This seemed to convince Nine who smiled at him, "Then… Then it's over." So it was.

The two leaned together and embraced each other warmly before quickly kissing. It was a soft motion but it was what they both needed. Afterward Nine stood and smiled to his mate before beckoning him, "Want to go help Twenty-One with me?" Child agreed and the two stood before heading to the doorway. Nine stepped outside before abruptly turning around and entering back in. He stopped his mate, staring at the ground, and Child paused to see what he was going to say.

"Child…" Nine began before abruptly unzipping himself and handing over the Talisman, "I want you to continue your research." Child stared before flatly remarked, "Creator, you're bi-polar. That explains so much." Though Nine didn't even give the curtesy of a glare at the wrongly timed joke. He simply pulled the Talisman back when his mate grabbed for it, "But only if you let me help you. It's not safe for you to do this alone." Naturally Child was suspicious and asked, "That's fine with me, but what made you change your mind? You were certain that you wanted it stopped."

The younger nodded and shrugged a bit as he looked down at the Talisman in his hands. "Yeah, I just… Last night I was thinking about it and maybe if we had someone like you who could control the Talisman… Maybe the Incident wouldn't have happened in the first place… So I had to make a choice and this was it. I'm sacrificing my concerns for the good of all of us." He was clearly still worried about the event and, as such, Child leaned forward, taking the Talisman from his grasp and meeting his lips with Nine's in a tender kiss.

Then he casually tossed the Talisman onto the bed. "Let us worry about the later on. For now we have a Stitchpup and underdeveloped Training Beast to unite." At this Nine smiled and was glad to agree with him.

* * *

Six felt a bubbly nervousness in his belly as he waited for the others to return. He already perched himself on the workbench and was waiting for Eight to go get Two to do the check. They had wanted it to be quiet, considering Five as there would be less of a chance that One would find out, but as Two was more familiar in this line of work it seemed to be better. Soon the two entered and the Artist straightened, his hands resting on his belly as he imagined what would be resting inside of his depths.

"Good morning, Six!" Two greeted and approached with a friendly smile. "Eight said that you weren't feeling well." Mismatched optics glanced over to see Eight pulling the curtain closed so they would have some privacy. "Actually…" Six began, "That's not exactly… I need you to check and see if… if I'm…" He paused to brace himself before finishing, "Pregnant." The Inventor smiled reassuringly and patted his leg, "Now Six, I'm sure the chances of you conceiving are slim." Six's optics widened as Two continued. "From my studies I'm still unsure if accidental pregnancies are even possible, considering-."

"No, no." Six insisted, "No, it's not… Not an accidental pregnancy." He looked towards Eight for reassurance and the large male came over, resting a hand on his shoulder. Six then felt a swell of comfort and looked towards the older male, "Eight and I are trying. For a baby. We want to have a baby." This changed Two's look to one of surprise before evolving his mood entirely. "Really? Oh, congratulations to you both!" immediately Eight added in, "But- uh- can you keep it under wraps for a while? One might… He's capable of anything." He said, looking at the door to make sure he wasn't there.

"I'm certain he would be happy for you both. You're young, healthy, perfectly happy mates… But I will keep this quiet." As though he suddenly realized who he was talking about he agreed with them. "Now then; onto the matter at hand. How long have you been trying?" The striped one smiled happily, "A few days." For a second Two looked confused before he patted his wrist in reassurance. "Well then, let's check…" though Six caught his tone and looked over towards Eight in concern. The Guard shrugged before asking in a murmur, "Something wrong, Two?"

The Inventor hummed a bit as he began to slowly open the younger male, "Nothing at all. Though don't be surprised if you aren't carrying yet. It took One and I quite a while to conceive." There was a moment of agreement before Eight argued, "I thought that Twelve was an accident. Or, no, I mean- not expected." He corrected quick, rubbing his temples and just expecting One to barge any second. "No, I understand you completely. Yes, Twelve was unexpected, but both of us wanted her. We had even mentioned having a second beforehand."

He then went quiet, except for a soft and rhythmic hum, and opened the Artist wide before glancing inside. The striped one braced himself and held his breath eagerly. Then Two announced, "Sorry to say, Six, but it seems that you're not carrying." The Artist felt a small second of disappointment before exhaling softly, "But you expected that, so it's normal?" The Inventor nodded abruptly, "Of course. Give it another week at the least and then we'll check again." as he looked away to glance towards the workbench, which had some things spread out on it, Six hopped down.

"I guess we got out hopes up." Six softly remarked before giving a small smile. Eight took the news a bit less harsh, "Then we'll just have to keep going at it. Eventually someone will pop up." The Artist smiled at his mate and took his hand in a gentle fashion before he started to lead him out of the door. "Oh, wait!" Two called out as he looked through the things left out on the workbench, "Have either of you seen Five today?" The two looked at each other before Six shook his head. "I'll check out front." Eight volunteered; wanting to return Two's helpfulness.

"Alright, just wondering." He turned back and the two left. Though Two was more concerned than he wanted to let on. It was unlike Five to stop mid-project and disappear like this, yet here was the map stretched out across the workbench beside a small inkwell, quill, and a piece of charcoal. Everything was set up, but nobody was there. _"This isn't like Five at all…"_ Finally he went out to find him, having a bit of a suspicion.

* * *

Five awoke only after Nine and None were awake. The former was being coaxed by his twin to go find Child and talk to him, which Five already knew was the plan. However, the male was also taken by the sudden onset of a sharp headache. His body was weak and weary, and the sharp pain only rendered him more uncomfortable as he slowly started to sit upwards. It only grew worse as his head spun in protest and by time he was sitting up on the bed with his feet planted on the ground he realized that something was very wrong.

This was followed with a soft cough before he forced himself to stand. His body ached in protest, warning him that he needed to lay back down. Yet he ignored it and headed to the hallway. "_It's just from the temperature changes outside. That's all." _With that he continued on. It was odd, as much as his head hurt, his legs and such were sore as well. It left him feeling much too run down for his own good. Somehow he still made it into the Workshop where he crossed to the Workbench. It seemed simple enough that he needed to just get back to work and his body would surely adjust.

Even as a healer he made these assumptions with his own health. He decided to work on a duplicate map as it would be an easy project. Two and he both agreed that have multiples of the same map only made sense in case one got lost. It seemed that Five had an issue with losing maps to the wind. He smiled tiredly as he pulled out the unfinished map and the finished one before spreading them on the workbench. He then retrieved Two's quill and inkwell. He lowered his hand and began to draw a line only to realize that his hand was shaking. He stared at it in disturbance before sighing.

The ink wouldn't work; he wouldn't be able to fix his mistakes without smearing and he knew he would need to fix mistakes. Instead he leaned down to search through the cabinets for the charcoal, grabbing a piece and then nearly falling over as his head spun once again. He grabbed the workbench and pulled himself upwards, noting that it felt like it took more to lift himself back upwards. Once standing again, his legs protesting the action of standing with weariness, he began attempting to draw with the charcoal instead. It went a little better for a short while.

He had to lean against the workbench much more than he wanted and towards the end was nearly laying completely upon it. His optic seemed unable to focus and the sharp pain shifted to a dull one that simply lingered over his head and refused to back down. Finally Five caved and laid the charcoal down beside the map, "Maybe I need more sleep." He suggested to himself before pulling away and heading towards the door, rubbing his patch slowly as he did so to relieve some of the pressure. He headed down into his room once again, now empty, and crossed to his bed before laying down upon it.

Almost immediately he fell back into a fitful sleep.

* * *

When Two peered into the bedroom he was somewhat relieved to see that Five was just sleeping, but his posture confused him. Not only was the room alit but Five was sprawled on the blanket on his belly. The short Inventor crossed over and reached down to rest his hand on the male's number and shook him. The Healer awoke slowly and turned over towards his mentor. "Oh, Two…" he stretched a little bit, "I… I must have fallen asleep again. Sorry." Two had a concerned look as he noticed how much Five had to struggle to get himself upright, "Are you alright?"

The buttoned male shrugged a bit before laying back on the pillow tiredly, "I don't know… I think there's something wrong." Two reached out and laid a hand on his forehead before getting a concerned look. Five got a matching one of worry when he noticed the older male's reaction and was reassured with a small smile. "I think you have a small fever. It's nothing too serious." He insisted and the healer seemed relieved, but meekly asked, "Is it okay if I sleep longer? I-I know it's late…"

He interrupted himself with a cough and Two spoke, "No, it's fine, get some more rest. We'll just nip this thing in the bud before it gets any worse, okay?" He offered in a fatherly manner that the one eyed one enjoyed hearing. The shorter male helped him tuck in by pulling the blankets over him in a small motion. He fluffed the pillow beneath the younger softly before turning to walk towards the foot of the bed. However, he abruptly stopped when Five started to sit up, "Two, wait, could you…!?" He cut off in embarrassment and Two looked back, "Yes, Five?"

"Stay with me… Please? I know you're busy with the Stitchpups, and One, and the others…" He slowly trailed off and the Inventor responded quickly. "I was just going to put out the candle. I'm sure you would feel more comfortable with it a little dark." This wasn't entirely the truth. Two was planning to walk out simply enough and let his apprentice get some sleep without him bothering, but the second Five asked Two was more than glad to comply. He soon put out the lights before sitting on the foot of the male's bed. The Inventor then rested his hands on his knees.

There was something about this scene. It was relatively small of a moment between them, but it was nice. Ever since Two had his children it was harder for Five to consider the older his own parental figure as he felt selfish doing so. Yet as the older sat with him in his time of need he felt that spark. Two also felt the paternal instinct kick in. Sometimes he forgot that he wasn't just his apprentice and wasn't just a friend, but someone who he had taken in as a son. "Now let's see… It may be a bit difficult for you to fall asleep with me staring at you so bluntly, so why don't I tell you a story?"

Five perked and nodded in agreement, trying to ignore the protest inside of his head at the movement. The Inventor was more than happy to weave a tale and hummed before asking, "Have I told you the tale about the fisherman who catches a sea being who is able to grant wishes?" Five remembered it in the back of his mind a bit, but still wanted to listen to it and smiled tiredly before nodding in agreement. With that the older male began quite eagerly.

"Alright, let's see… Once there was a fisherman who lived in a small shack on the coast. He didn't have much but was relatively content with what he had. That was, until one day he went fishing, and cast his line far out into the deep water- You know I have always wanted to see the actual sea, but I'm getting off subject- it was this day when he came across the oddest thing…"

Five was eventually lulled to sleep by the tale, but Two continued, and stayed alongside his apprentice the entire time.

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**Mable: Well, I'm taking another week to work. Though this week I'm working mostly on requests. I have three or four that need addressing, along with 'Without A Sound' and this. Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed! See you with an update again on Saturday! ^-^**


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